Cost optimization of optical in-building networks.

Area of Science:

• Telecommunications Engineering
• Computer Networking
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional copper and radio-based in-building networks face limitations in performance and cost-efficiency.
• Emerging optical fiber solutions, particularly Plastic Optical Fiber (POF), are demonstrating significant advancements.
• POF technology is nearing maturity, offering potential cost advantages over established solutions like Cat-5e cabling, especially when sharing infrastructure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the capital expenditure (CapEx) and operational expenditure (OpEx) of in-building network solutions.
• To evaluate the economic viability of fiber-optic networks against traditional Cat-5e solutions.
• To determine the most cost-effective in-building network topology for residential applications over the long term.

Main Methods:

• Comparative economic analysis of network infrastructure costs.
• Evaluation of Capital Expenditure (CapEx) for fiber and Cat-5e solutions.
• Assessment of Operational Expenditure (OpEx) over the economic lifetime of the networks.
• Analysis of different network topologies, focusing on point-to-point duplex POF.

Main Results:

• Optical fiber solutions are projected to outperform copper and radio-based networks in both performance and cost in the near future.
• Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) solutions are becoming increasingly competitive, potentially offering lower costs than Cat-5e when sharing installation ducts with electrical cabling.
• The analysis indicates that for residential homes, a point-to-point duplex POF topology results in the lowest overall network costs throughout its economic lifetime.

Conclusions:

• Optical fiber, specifically POF, presents a promising and economically advantageous solution for future in-building networks.
• The cost-competitiveness of POF is enhanced by shared infrastructure, making it a viable alternative to Cat-5e.
• Point-to-point duplex POF topology is identified as the most economical choice for residential in-building network installations over their lifespan.