Next-generation access (NGA) is term used by British Telecommunications (BT) describing a significant upgrade to the telecommunication access network replacing some or all of the copper cable with optical fibre. Since fibre is capable of sustaining higher data transmission rates over longer distances than twisted-pair or coaxial cable, these Internet access networks are marketed using the term "broadband". The physical fibre optic cables and equipment to deliver the service is an access network.[1]
Contents |
The European Commission said: "Next generation access (NGA) networks" means wired access networks which consist wholly or in part of optical elements and which are capable of delivering broadband access services with enhanced characteristics (such as higher throughput) as compared to those provided over already existing copper networks. In most cases NGAs are the result of an upgrade of an already existing copper or co-axial access network."[2]
UK operator BT offers a similar description: "Broadly speaking, it means internet that uses next-generation optic fibres, rather than the copper wires which most broadband users in the UK use at the moment." [3]
It is generally accepted that NGA includes fibre-rich infrastructure and technologies such as fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC), fibre-to-the-home or premises (FTTH/FTTP) and upgraded cable TV networks.
Operators around the world have been rolling out high-speed Internet access networks since the mid 2000s. Some used a network topology known as Active Ethernet Point-to-Point to deliver services from its central office direct into subscribers’ homes. fibre termination was handled by a residential gateway provided by Advanced Digital Broadcast inside a subscriber's home to be shared with other consumer electronics (CE) devices.
Since 2007, Italian access providers Fastweb,[4] Telecom Italia, Vodafone, and Wind participated in an initiative called fibre for Italy, aim of creating a countrywide FTTH network in Italy. The pilot taking place in the Italian capital, Rome, has seen symmetrical bandwidth of 100 Mbit/s.[5] Telecom Italia, which refused to take part in the fibre for Italy initiative, has an even more ambitious plan to bring FTTH/B to 138 cities by 2018.[6] By the end of December 2010, the total number of FTTH-enabled homes had passed 2.5 million, with more than 348,000 subscribers.[6]
Fixed wireless and mobile wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, WiMAX and 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) are an alternative for providing Internet access.
In September 2010 the European Commission published a new Recommendation for Regulated Access to NGA Networks along with a list of measures to promote deployment of fast broadband and NGA networks.[7]