When we talk about a home network, we are referring to a group of devices that connect to the Internet and each other within a domestic setting. That people use technology such as computers, mobile devices and printers in their homes is nothing new. What is significant, however, is the way user habits have changed in response to the pandemic.
One of the defining legacies of successive lockdowns has been the convergence of home and work life, the outcome of which has been a sharp increase in web traffic, as the use of video conferencing for personal and professional reasons has become ingrained in everyday life. Unprecedented levels of video streaming and social media use demand higher bandwidth, hence the demands placed on home networks have fundamentally changed. To sustain the level of performance required, now and in the future, it is vital that home networks undergo a major evolution.
What are the new requirements of the home network?
There are two key groups that must be taken into consideration when answering this question - subscribers and Internet service providers.
Above all, users require higher than ever bandwidth to be able to support faster application performance in line with their technological requirements. Consumers demand a seamless online experience, and for this to happen, latency must be kept to a minimum and coverage must be sufficient to provide a reliable Internet connection throughout the residence, without any blind spots.
Meanwhile, operators derive a competitive advantage from providing a reliable, high-quality service that meets the requirements of customers, accounting for periodic spikes in usage, all in a way that is cost-effective for them.
To meet these requirements, more and more service providers are turning from copper DSL to fibre, which is a positive development for the wider industry. The limitations of copper mediums are well documented and are known to result in inferior performance when it comes to bandwidth, electronic signal interference and transmission distance.
Two potential approaches are available, fibre to the building (FTTB) and fibre to the home (FTTH). There is an industry-wide consensus that pure fibre is the optimal choice of medium to accommodate evolving network demands over the long term therefore, it is critical that we do everything possible to accelerate this transition, bridging the gap to fibre to the room (FTTR). Our ability to bring reliable high-speed connections to home networks is dependent on this, and it is critical that we view this as a long-term investment and prioritise it as such. Customers will, in turn, be able to reap a number of additional benefits such as higher coverage and reduced power consumption and associated running costs.
How should service operators go about building a future-oriented home network?
The first step in this journey is recognising the need to adapt to changing user requirements. To achieve this, it is crucial to build a robust OLT network that is 10G PON-Ready. To be truly prepared to accommodate future user requirements, we would recommend taking steps to ensure readiness for 50GPON. Huawei has invested heavily in developing the next generation of PON technology that is equipped for the challenges that lie ahead.
Our Wi-Fi 6 ONT technology represents a new frontier for home networking, and we believe that this will become the gold standard in the years to come. We can also offer FTTR fibre to each room within the house via the use of fibres to connect the main ONT gateway and sub-ONTs in each room, providing a 1Gbps bandwidth experience throughout the home, with minimal latency. Both of the following solutions are now eligible with our Fast Track Series for four-week delivery, which allows for rapid deployment.