The event, included in the commemorative program for the 20th anniversary of the Xarxa Vives d'Universitats (21 universities), will study the current situation and prospects for cable and broadband infrastructure in Catalonia in the international context.
“The expansion process in the deployment of fiber optics is relatively rapid, especially considering the general economic context. In addition to Barcelona, there are municipalities that, whether or not they had historical cable networks, have managed to combat the crisis by investing in infrastructure,” explains Joan Francesc Fondevila, director of the Center for Cable Studies (CECABLE) and dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Abat Oliba CEU University.
The annual meeting on Catalan broadband will analyze the evolution of the broadband network (cable, xDSL, HFC, FTTx, satellite, power grid or microwave) according to geotype and quality, and will delve into the content and services offered by broadband telecommunications networks.
Participating and collaborating in the event are institutions such as the Government of Catalonia, Abat Oliba CEU University, UAB, Cercle Fiber, Barcelona Marketing Club, College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Barcelona (CETIB), Catalan Association of Telecommunications Engineers (Telecos.cat), Official College of Telecommunications Technical Engineers of Catalonia (COETTC), Official College of Computer Engineering of Catalonia (COEIC), Telecommunications Market Commission (CMT), Faculty of Communication Sciences of the UAB, Catalan Federation of Telecommunications Installation Companies (Feceminte), Federation of Telecommunications Installers (Fenitel), Barcelona Digital Technology Centre, Talencia, TIC.CAT, Red.es, Localret, AOTEC (National Association of Telecommunications and Internet Service Operators), AEDOC (Spanish Association of Digital Documentation), AETIC (Association of Information and Communication Technology Companies of Spain), ANEI (Association National Association of Internet Companies), APD (Association for the Progress of Management), Asimelec (Multisectoral Association of Spanish Electronics and Communications Companies), Catalan Technology Association (ACTec), Association of Computer Technicians (ATI), Astel (Association of Telecommunications Operators and Services Companies), CTecno, Vallès Technology Park (PTV), CENATIC (National Reference Center for the Application of Information and Communication Technologies ICT), Ilimit, International Association of Technology, Education and Development (IATED), Foundation for the Infotechnological Development of Companies, Society (Fundetec), FOTÓNICA21 Platform or Catalan Technology Society and the specialized magazine on fiber optics and networks conectrónica.
The first session, chaired by Joan Francesc Fondevila, director of CECABLE, will analyze "Broadband in Catalonia and Spain" on May 6th, and will feature presentations from Wifidom, Hispasat, Ericsson, UNIT4, Telefónica, Voz Telecom, Orange, and BT. In the afternoon, the "Services and Content in Broadband Networks" session will include the round table discussion "Between FTTH GPON and HFC DOCSIS 3.0: Decisions Regarding Historical Catalan and Spanish Cable," with presentations from CECABLE, Alpha Enginyeria de Telecomunicacions, Xtra Telecom, Acotec, Airenetworks, AIT.CAT, La Cala de Fibra, and the Mequinenza City Council. "The longest-standing telecommunications reality is that of the sixty historical cable operators in Catalonia and the five hundred in the rest of Spain, bastions for the Broadband Society," states Fondevila. After the round table discussion, Eurona Telecom, Guifi.net and Ilimit will speak.
The second session, on May 7, will examine the “Evolution of Cable Types and Installation for Broadband” with contributions from Exfo, Optral, Promax, Xarxa Oberta de Catalunya, Anvimur Telecomunicaciones, Datwyler Cabling Solutions, Mercado IT, and Meru Networks. In the afternoon, the session “New Horizons for the IT Sector” will feature presentations from Couplace, Bitdefender, Xarxa Vives d'Universitats, Softonic, Reus Europa, Finnovaregio, Microsoft, and Panda Security.
The third session, on May 8th, entitled “Diverse Impacts of Broadband Networks,” chaired by Fondevila, will begin with the traditional institutional roundtable, this time on “The Evolution of FTTH in Catalonia: Has Territorial Balance Been Achieved?” Representatives from CECABLE, the Government of Catalonia, Localret, Feceminte, Telecos.cat, COETTC, the Viladecans City Council, and Xarxa Oberta de Catalunya will participate. Following the roundtable, Telvent-Schneider Electric, Sony, Anxanet, Analysys Mason, Abertis Telecom, and Banc Sabadell will speak. The event can be followed on major social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and Instagram).
