Kranj, 14 September 2021 – As more European governments look to achieve their ambitious national sustainability goals, operators and regulators must look into the environmental impact of fibre-based access technologies and the adverse effects that wrong Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH) choices may have on the environment. This is the message that will be expressed at the FTTH Virtual Conference this week by Iskratel.

While European countries such as Germany may be aware of the carbon intensity of copper-based broadband access, Iskratel Chief Strategy Officer Janez Ori will explain why their business models and technologies must also change in his participation at the "Zoom on German FTTH market" panel at the annual conference. Operators and regulators should not only contemplate the return on investment or the total cost of ownership considerations, but also the levels of power consumption and CO₂ emissions directly impacting the environment. 

“Operators have an obligation when migrating their business strategies from copper to fibre-based access technologies to make sure they have considered the environmental impact of their operations,” Ori said. “It is very important to focus on the amount of power consumption and CO₂ emissions in the atmosphere. Therefore, the industry must not only focus on adopting the most cost-effective and efficient technologies, but also those that are the most environmentally-friendly.”

While maintaining a focus on sustainability, Ori will be comparing not only copper-based and fibre-based access technologies, but also various fibre-based technologies. This will deliver insights highlighting GPON and XGS-PON FTTH as markedly more environmentally-friendly than the likes of HFC, VDSL2 and even P2P FTTH technology in terms of data rates, power consumption and subsequent emissions of CO₂ emitted into the atmosphere. Specifically, Iskratel will emphasise the significant amount of CO₂ being generated each year in Germany, and the magnitude of the environmental damage being done to the planet with the wrong choice of access technology.

The presentation will focus on the shift from copper to FTTH in Germany, and follows the recent news that Iskratel is expanding into the country’s broadband market to connect underserved regions. Iskratel is also taking a systematic approach to ensuring its fibre-access products achieve a longer network lifespan, decreased energy consumption and reduced waste generation.

Register now to watch Janez Ori on day two of the FTTH Virtual Conference.