Broadband Access Networks

Covering telecommunications access networks this text puts the emphasis on broadband services, technologies and strategies for developing the existing telecommunications access network towards a full services access network. Techno-economic analyses of case studies on the broad band roll-out expected to take place in the near future are presented. The volume provides a support for establishing guidelines for strategic decisions regarding the development of the access network alternatives of different network operators, including incumbent telecommunication and cable operators and second operators starting from a green field situation. The book is divided into three main sections. The first supplies a general introduction to the evolution of the access network before presenting a comprehensive Delphi survey on emerging services and applications performed by the TITAN project. A description of both the methodology and forecast results are included. The second section concentrates on the methodology and tools developed in the TITAN project in order to assess future introduction scenarios for broadband services and networks.These include the general modelling framework, geometric models for the calculation of the overall cable length of the network, evolution of component costs, sensitivity analysis, risk assessment and the general structure of the TITAN tool. The final section deals with results from applications of the methodology and the tool. Results from ten studies are presented and comparisons made.