The TR-419 report (Fiber Access Extension over Existing Copper Infrastructure) demonstrates how customers can be provided with fiber-based access using existing copper infrastructure, rather than installing fiber on end-user premises, which may not be economically or physically feasible. FTTep (Fiber to the Point of Extension) allows service providers to deploy fiber services by leveraging the last few meters of copper to extend the fiber network without compromising quality compared to full FTTH (Fiber to the Home) networks.
"Fiber network technology promises multi-gigabit broadband services, and investment will only increase as the industry seeks to improve the connectivity experience for businesses and end users. With higher costs associated with installing fiber directly into premises, by adopting the FTTep architecture, operators and providers will be able to offer ubiquitous connectivity in every corner of customers' homes and businesses." ~ Herman Verbueken, Director of the Physical Layer Transmission Working Group at the Broadband Forum
Service providers and telecom operators can achieve more cost-effective deployments, less likely to be hampered by major construction projects, by integrating complementary copper technologies such as Multimedia over Coax (MoCA) access, ITU-T G.fast or ITU-T G.hn-based access, and by reusing existing telephone and coaxial cables. With the ability to extend the fiber network using copper-based Point-to-Point (P2P) and Point-to-Multipoint (P2MP) infrastructure, residential and business end users will have access to multi-gigabit services.
"The collaboration on TR-419 among industry associations, such as the HomeGrid Forum, MoCA, and Broadband Forum, ensures that service providers stay ahead of customer demands with cost-effective deployment options and managed services. The Broadband Forum's work on TR-419 is agnostic to copper technologies in buildings, allowing providers to choose the right technology for each deployment. I want to acknowledge the Broadband Forum for incorporating G.fast, G.hn Access, and MoCA Access™ 2.5 into the TR-419 FTTep architecture." ~ Dr. Leonard Dauphinee, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Broadband Products at MaxLinear
TR-419 expands upon Broadband Forum TR-301, which defines the functionality of ITU-T G.fast distribution point units. It defines the requirements for creating cost-effective alternative and complementary architectures to fiber networks, simplifying the deployment of symmetric and asymmetric multigigabit services and facilitating seamless fiber deployment. TR-419 describes a series of use cases (UCs) and migration options that can be considered representative deployment scenarios for operators choosing to implement an FTTep solution, and focuses on the architectural, management, and operational aspects of extending PON fiber access over different underlying copper technologies, such as G.fast, G.hn Access, and MoCA Access.
