There’s a significant opportunity for tier 2 fibre-to-the-home/office (FTTX) providers that can offer users more flexible and more tailored solutions.
Experienced FTTX solution builders have earned their stripes on large, complex FTTX rollouts, and custom projects for office parks. That skill is being put to good use servicing tier 2 FTTX providers now as the market swings in their direction.
Says Eckart Zollner, head of business development at The Jasco Group: “Tier 1 providers have put a lot of fibre into the ground but tier 2 providers are often more dynamic when it comes to offering a range of different services over a fibre connection. As demand for fibre connectivity surges, businesses are keen to find FTTX providers who can offer them a flexible solution tailored to their needs.
“The challenge for tier 2 providers is that they need to look after their investments very closely and earn a return reasonably quickly. Then can, however, leverage the opportunity by partnering with experienced FTTX solution builders who have a large, highly skilled team servicing clients nationally.”
The reality is that almost every FTTX solution needs to be tailored, he notes. The equipment needed will depend on geography, the technology environment, the operating requirements of the user and the failover and uptime guarantees they require. These elements impact decisions around endpoint equipment and the termination, monitoring and maintenance software used in the data centre. Our solutions need to be able to start small and grow with the customers’ increasing demand. Getting it right is vital as it determines the agility of the offering … and longevity of the relationship with the client.
“A partner must understand the technology and have the knowhow to optimise solutions even in difficult conditions. Alongside agility and the ability to renegotiate terms and conditions as the market shifts, FTTX customers want reliability – they need a company with a reputation for delivery and a good track record.”
Jasco has implemented FTTX solutions for Tier 1 providers across diverse projects, from office parks to retail centres. Its teams include skilled and experienced engineering, design, logistics, planning and implementation resources. And the breadth of the services it can offer includes not only the design, commissioning and management of tailored offerings, but the provision of support systems such as physical security and guaranteed power solutions.
