Automated service provisioning in hybrid fiber copper access networks

As the content-rich services which demand tremendous bandwidth proliferate, service providers must adapt to the trend quickly so as to meet not only the current demands but also the future needs of their customers. The hybrid fiber-copper deployment facilitates and complements Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) strategy in which optical fiber is gradually brought closer to the consumer, and emerging G.fast (Fast Access over Subscriber Terminals) technology is used for the remaining copper network. The deployment of ultra-broadband hybrid fiber copper access networks introduce significant challenges in the service provisioning, network operation, and management which need to be mitigated. In this paper we first address selected significant management issues such as G.fast management approaches, provisioning point comparison, and the flexible service provisioning for G.fast. We then present the design of the integrated and automated provisioning systems to support the diversity of services for hybrid fiber copper networks. Such integrated systems will speed up the end-to-end quality assured service delivery, reduce the operational expenditure (OPEX), and result in higher customer satisfaction.