Known by all sorts of different names and acronyms, including:
a fibre network represents the best solution to replace the existing aging "last mile" telecoms network, and offers a massive performance boost compared to what most of us currently experience.
Every so often, new technologies arrive on the scene that totally change the game. Think about the steam engine, railways, the internal combustion engine, electricity, the internet.
Fibre networking is a disruptive technology. Its capability to move huge amounts of data over long distances at very high speeds and low cost means that it totally changes the game for ISPs (internet service providers), telcos (telecommunications companies, e.g. BT), and potentially for consumers too.
The problem with disruptive technologies is that they often upset the cosy and profitable business model that has been developed by the incumbent providers. And ironically, history tells us that very often when these disruptive technologies arrive on the scene, our usual response is to consult with the incumbent providers over the best way to deploy the new technology. Ironic, because what the incumbent wants very often is much more about protecting their vested interests than it is about delivering the real benefits of the new technology to consumers.
The current debate over fibre networks in the UK, as elsewhere, does not appear to have learned the lessons of the past. The major delay in deploying fibre in the UK appears to be down to the incumbent (BT) not being too keen to make the investment. True, FTTH is not a cheap proposition, but in the scheme of things it's not huge either. The problems for BT are multiple: their city investors want quick returns on their investment (typically 3-5 years) and fibre doesn't fit this model - it requires a longer term investment - perhaps 15 years. Secondly, why should BT do this at all when it has a very nice business going right now thank you, so why invest billions in a new technology where the market is supposedly unproven, and where that new technology will simply upset their current business model. There is a third major challenge for BT: it owns and runs the current copper network, which is costly to maintain (especially given that the current regulatory framework actively encourages BT to spend lots of money looking after it). With this millstone round its neck, it cannot be competitive against other providers are not saddled with these costs.
Based on optical fibres as opposed to copper wire, a fibre network can deliver 100 Mbps or more in both download andupload speeds. Recent tests in Amsterdam have delivered 960 Mbps over a poin to point connection. Compared to current ADSL performance, sold as "up to 8 Mbps", FTTH offers a 12-fold increase in download performance. Current upload speeds are around 400 Kbps, so fibre can deliver a 25-fold increase in upload performance.
With speeds as fast as this, not only can we expect to see an end to things like stop-start video streaming from the BBC iPlayer and similar everyday broadband irritants, but we will see the emergence of a whole new range of high bandwidth media services, many of which we can only begin to speculate about.
And regardless of the download speeds that FTTH delivers, just imagine what that sort of upload speed could do to enhance digital creativity, new business and cultural opportunities within a fibre-connected community.
Oh, and 100Mbps is by no means the upper limit on performance for fibre, so we can expect those speeds to climb higher over time.
Fibre does not just deliver next generation performance in terms of speed, it also offers a much higher level of reliability and consistency, and (one for the online gaming community here) a much lower latency, which for the rest of us means that the whole thing feels much more responsive.
But don't just take my word for it. The short video below presents very clearly the real difference between FTTH and ADSL broadband from the perspective of consumers. This film was commissioned by OFCOM's Consumer Panel (OFCOM is the UK telecoms regulator):