Telecoms Seek Integrator Partners for Fiber Installs

It's not often that integrators receive open invitations from large telecommunications companies to be their partners, but that was the case at the CE Pro Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Summit at EHX Fall.

Representatives from Verizon, Connexion Technologies and AFL Telecom addressed integrators on the need to bring the value of high-speed, high-clarity FTTH connections inside the home.

"We see a great need for more bandwidth. That's what drove our decision to offer FiOS," says Tushar Saxena, director, home networking technologies for Verizon Communications, who keynoted the FTTH Summit.

"Our service is only as good as the weakest link, and right now the home network is the weakest link."

Saxena told attendees that Verizon FiOS is an "open network" designed to encourage others to build applications on top of it. He invited integrators to go to the Verizon Web site and input the zip codes of your coverage area to see the deployment plans.

Currently, Verizon's existing home strategy revolves around using coax over the MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Association) platform, but the Saxena says in new homes, Verizon prefers FiOS to run on Ethernet cable via the home network.

Also at the Summit, Jason Scutt, executive vice president of strategic development for Connexion Technologies, told dealers that FTTH is a differentiator for new developments.

The company has numerous partnerships with integrators across the country, including Circuit City firedog.

"In 99 out of 100 communities, the wiring is bad. So new developers are happy to have a single partnership with a service provider and integrator. It eliminates the fingerpointing," he says.

Meanwhile, Kent Brown of AFL Telecom outlined the traits of a successful partnership with a service provider. Brown estimates that a developer (of a 500-home project) will spend only about $1,500 per home to deploy a FTTH network that includes the in-home wiring and head-end construction.

Brown added that he does not believe the recent ruling by the FCC that prohibits new residential MDU developments from offering exclusive cable TV deals to one company will affect triple-play subscriptions, but he left it open by adding that "time will tell."

Brandon Richey of At Home Technologies in Cedar City, Utah, is one integrator who has achieved several partnerships with developers. In fact, Richey has even set up deals with developers whereby his integration company gets a share of the recurring revenue from the phone, TV and Internet subscriptions.

He has other deals with developers that are more "pure subcontract" type relationships where At Home Technologies is performing the in-home wiring installations. In both scenarios, he has the opportunity to upsell the clients.

In another session, integrators learned the physical topology necessary to connect a fiber Optical Network Terminal (ONT) directly to a structured wiring enclosure. The ONT is typically mounted to the side of the home by the telecom service provider … at no charge to the customer.

The integrator's role then becomes seamless connectivity with that device. Jim Glomstad, vice president of marketing for Suttle, described how integrators might even be able to combine the ONT and structured wiring panel into a single enclosure in new construction if they work closely with the developer and telecom company.

Jeff Green, the FTTH business development manager for Leviton, advised integrators to properly value FTTH and home networks.

"When the first thing a builder asks is, 'Can you take $10 off that panel," then he doesn't understand the value," he says. Green says that in-the-wall fiber systems are still too expensive, noting that they average about $500 per outlet to install in a home right now.

Lastly, FTTH Summit attendees received primers on remote home healthcare and gaming, which are two key lifestyle technologies that are enhanced by fiber.