Data Demand Sparks Race to Bring: Fiber Optics Home

摘要

The fiber-optic revolution is at the door. Two decades of cable-running have laid the bones of a national high-speed data network. Now, an explosive drive is under way to bring the long-awaited, last-mile fiber connections to millions of businesses and homes. Analysts with network consulting engineers Telcordia Technologies Inc., Piscataway, N.J., expect the build-out to connect at least 33 million homes and cost $45 billion to $50 billion over the next 10 to 15 years. Already the campaign has spawned its own lingo. It is variously termed Fiber To The Premises (FTTP), Fiber To The Community (FTTC) and Fiber To The Home (FTTH). The prize is the "Triple Crown"—the consolidation of voice, high-speed data and video delivery into the business of a single provider.