One of the key trends in the cable industry pertains to greater usage of OFC in local networks for service delivery, including fibre to the customer. This has been enabled by the deployment of PON in major cities for delivery of high speed internet, IPTV and video-on-demand services.

Enterprise customers are also being served through OFC for their bandwidth-intensive requirements. Further, with 3G and 4G wireless broadband roll-outs by operators, their backhaul requirements have grown manyfold, which can be met through OFC deployment.

OFC roll-out challenges and solutions

The major issues being faced by telecom operators in deploying OFC networks are as follows:

•   Complex procedures for obtaining RoW from various government agencies, including local authorities

•   Costly reinstatement and other charges levied while giving permission

•   Lack of a standard nationwide procedure for cable roll-out

•   Exorbitant rental charges levied by agencies annually.

Various government authorities, including the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, are being approached to standardise procedures and rationalise the charges for the overall development of telecom services.

Future outlook for the cable industry

It is now almost a foregone conclusion that fibre is the future. The development of low-loss, low-dispersion fibres has eased the task of cable deployment. With innovation in optic fibre technology, such as flexible fibres, deployment in multi-storey buildings and office complexes has become easier and more cost effective. Moreover, the rise in demand for bandwidth-intensive services will drive the roll-out of optical fibre in the future.