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With the amount of data the world is currently producing - with the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the upcoming launch of 5G - a more effective way of transmitting it is going to be essential.
The industry is currently working to develop an official standard for 5G, which is expected by experts to launch by 2020. It will enable even wider adoption of the IoT on the back of its hugely increased speeds and low latency.
One of the questions beginning to be raised now is how to best transport this data when these networks are in operation.
Pat Thompson, vice president of solutions for the CommScope central office/headend, thinks that fibre is going to be the best means of doing so. In a video blog, he said that “5G and the Internet of Things will definitely require a lot more fibre infrastructure”.
He explained that this is because “they both require a lot of data - very high speed data transmission rates - and very low latency”. In order to achieve this, Thompson believes an optical network will be required.
These fibre networks will be “the backbone” for data transporting, he adds.
Meanwhile, Brian Larson, Clearfield director of engineering, said that one result of the expected increased demand for data will be “the need to push fibre closer and closer to the user”.
He explained that technology has only enabled incremental increases over the years, and that “the industry has gone from pushing fibre to the neighbourhood, to fibre to the curb, to fibre to the home/building”.
Larson went on to say that mentions of “pushing fibre to the device and fibre to the user” will become increasingly common. However, he emphasised that fibre connectivity has “historically been challenging, both from a civil perspective but also on the technology front”.
This is because it’s expensive to deploy compared to existing cable or copper infrastructure. Furthermore, deploying fibre close to the user has typically meant significant disruption, expense and time.
In order for 5G - and any subsequent wireless generations - to meet their potential, these challenges will have to be resolved. Larson said providers will have to find new ways of simplifying their installations and maintenance, which will allow them to reduce costs and establish more fibre networks faster.
Scot Bohaychyk, writing for AGL Magazine, said it is necessary for service providers to understand the important role that fibre will play in “the 5G revolution”, adding that fibre is going to provide the foundation for networks to offer a “complete 5G experience for the consumer”.
With the Japanese government already investing in developing better fibre to meet the needs of 5G and the IoT, it will likely not be long before the rest of the world follows suit.
