Large fiber to the home (FTTH) projects are usually broken down into hundreds of sub-projects for every region, each with multiple fiber-serving areas. For each serving area, the Network needs to be accurately planned and designed for every street, so that all houses (SDUs) and multiple dwelling units (MDUs) are ready to be connected during the fulfilment phase.
Every detail needs to be considered with costs calculated and analysed. This applies not only to FTTH projects, but to NLD fiber build project as well, where every route needs to be optimized to minimize equipment, ROW and construction work and at the same time maximize demand coverage. While previously, this may have been done manually, such an approach is no longer viable. A growing number of service providers are now turning to automated planning and optimization tools, as well as innovative techniques to speed up and improve the accuracy of high-level fiber planning, ROI estimation and cost optimization.
Project cost-estimates are obviously critical input for project go/no-go decisions as well as tactical planning decisions that influence project costs and future service profitability. Yet, achieving accurate, optimized cost-estimates is almost impossible without the right planning tools. Lack of advanced and automated planning tools can also result in poorly planned projects with inflated construction costs, unreliable operations and costly maintenance. Over-engineered designs can avoid some of the pitfalls, but lead to more expensive network infrastructure costs.
Lepton has a comprehensive suite of Automated Fiber planning applications to help CSP’s, MSO’s, ISPs and Telco’s to accelerate their Fiber presence in cost effective and efficient way.
Lepton Automation tool has following Modules :-
Strategic Planning
Initial Design
Fine tune design
Detailed design
During Strategic planning, we need to have a revenue and profitability forecast, rough network plan, detailed cost breakdown and revenue calculations available :-
Strategic Planning Module provides answer to following questions:
Where to build fiber network?
How much time does it take to plan the network for an area?
How much will it cost?
What happens to the costs if I only offer fiber network to 85% of the demand
e) Which of my candidate areas are best in terms of money?
The Initial Design Module provides capability to :-
Define the route to maximize the demand coverage as per business plan.
Create initial site , POP , route, ducting, manhole, pole , access point location plan.
Define the types and concentration rules.
Mark Road Line , Building polygons , Building name , Pole IDs etc.
Access Network Feasibility Wireless or wireline.
Apply design rules of customer.
The Fine tune Modules support following capabilities :-
Capability to adjust design based on local information and restrictions.
Approve the design post input from the survey team.
Reusing the existing infrastructure post survey and redesign.
Where exactly to install the network entities.
The detailed design modules support following capabilities :-
Define your Feeder Service Area ( FSA ) boundary and then planning ( taking into consideration customer business rules) in such way that it covers maximum demand to meet KPI and design from OLT to first stage access point.
Define your Distribution Service Area ( DSA ) boundary and then planning optimum route between primary access and secondary access.
Define your Customer Service Area ( CSA ) boundary and then planning your network taking into consideration POI data , building data, road, street etc data.
Fiber link Budget calculation based on guideline