Telecoms: Italy

Telecom Italia’s current plan for its next generation access network (NGN2) is based on a FTCab/B plus VDSL2 architecture.

However, it is far from clear if and when this plan will really materialize. At the very least, the implementation of this plan is likely to be delayed by several concurrent reasons:

• Telecom Italia has been in the meantime substantially bought by Telefonica, that might have a different opinions about NGN2 technologies
• A new management team has been recently appointed at Telecom Italia. Again, it might have different ideas about the underlying technology
• Telecom Italia is seriously evaluating the full of partial divestiture of its access network in order to raise the much needed cash to lower its debt and/or to finance new investments in services
• The regulatory framework for the next generation access network is still unclear in Italy. Until Telecom Italia knows what kind of regulatory environment will have to face, it will not invest significant amount of money to deploy the new access network
• The recent collapse of the Italian Government (leading to new general election next spring) will further delay any regulatory decision on this matter

As time passes, the likelihood of a rethink about Telecom Italia NGN2′s plan grows.
As a matter of fact, new developments in xDSL technology might again pose the fundamental question: does it make sense to push for a FTTx solution or should Telecom Italia also consider the newest generation copper-based xDSL solutions for its broadband access network?
For all FTTH’s benefits (and problems), I’ll leave it to my French friend editing the informative Fiberevolution blog.
Instead, let’s have a look at new generation copper-based access networks from an Italian perspective.
This country has the unique feature of the shortest average loop length in the world.

Therefore, xDSL systems have an higher probability of working better.
Recently, I read an intriguing paper about the so called “CuPON” concept, a copper alternative to fiber PON. According to Joseph Cioffi

“The CuPON architecture allows a DSL 0.5-1 Gb/s date rate per customer and roughly 100 Gb/s of readily realizable total bandwidth for a typical 200-pair telephone company distribution area”.

That is: fiber speed using copper!.
I don’t know if Dr. Cioffi’s dream will became a commercial product anytime soon. If ever, Italy could probably be a good test bed, especially if the current NGN2 plan of Telecom Italia continues to be kept on hold as it is now.
P.S. For those of you who are member of the IEEE Communications Society, here is Cioffi’s paper on copper alternative to PON