Differences Between FTTR And FTTH

FTTR is not only a single fiber into the home, but also a fiber network covering all rooms with FTTR equipment.

Currently, FTTH is usually completed to the home by the operator’s fiber without including an indoor network.
The user needs to arrange the indoor network using wireless routers, PLCs, MOCA, and other technologies if needed.
FTTR is not only a single fiber into the home, but also a fiber network covering all rooms with FTTR equipment.

1. What is FTTR & FTTH

FTTH：Fiber-to-the-home is a transmission method of fiber optic communication.
Specifically, FTTH refers to the installation of ONUs in-home users or business users.

FTTR：Fiber-to-the-room is a new internal network technology based on fiber optic communication.

2. Why We Need Fiber To The Room

The ITU-T GSTP-FTTR document details the applications and requirements for FTTR, with indoor high-quality Wi-Fi networking requirements ranking first.

Wi-Fi technology has been extended to a wide range of products, including computers, PADs, smartphones, TVs and smart speakers.

Wi-Fi is an essential part of the home network and people are increasingly relying on Wi-Fi connectivity to support their internet connection needs.

In FTTH, after optical access, we can provide a network for WI-FI terminals in two ways:

• the Ethernet port of the ONU
• Integration of Wi-Fi functionality into a Wi-Fi enabled ONU

Since the release of the Wi-Fi standard IEEE 802.11a in 1997, Wi-Fi technology has continue to evolve and update with ever increasing transmission rates.

Currently, Wi-Fi6 technology supports up to 9.6 gigabits per second. The even higher speed Wi-Fi7 (802.11be) standard is also being work on.

It is difficult for a single router to cover the whole house with a wireless Wi-Fi signal due to:

● The diversity of house types;

● The attenuation of wireless signals by space and walls.

This is why the Wi-Fi Alliance introduces as the EasyMesh solution.

In this solution, multiple Wi-Fi access points (APs) are formed into a local area network (LAN).

Indoor wireless networks in large houses can achieve by networking multiple EasyMesh-enabled wireless routers.
However, as the mesh routers locate in different rooms, the 5GHz signal is highly attenuated.
The installation point of the router does not guarantee the quality of the direct wireless connection between the router and the gateway.

When you enjoy future home network services such as.

• Video calls
• Video conferencing
• HD video (8k)
• Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality (AR / VR)
• Holograms

In this case, you want to be able to sit or move freely without any inconvenience in terms of service delays, lost connections, etc.

Therefore, FTTR technology is necessary to form such a mesh network with high connection data rates and reliable roaming.

It has sufficient capacity for fiber optic backhaul links compared to wireless or UTP.

3.Comparison of FTTH and FTTR solutions

The FTTR solution provides true gigabit bandwidth to the room compared to traditional network technologies and FTTH.

The main ONU connects upstream via XGSPON or 10G EPON and supports a maximum rate of 10Gbps.

Sub ONUs are connected to the room via fibre and support Gigabit Ethernet ports and Wi-Fi6.
This approach avoids the performance degradation caused by Wi-Fi signals passing through walls.
Wi-Fi 6 over-the-air interface rates can exceed gigabits, providing true gigabit bandwidth to the room.

Optical fibre is flexible, non-oxidising, non-corrosive and immune to electromagnetic interference.
It has a lifetime of up to 30 years and can benefit from a single deployment for 30 years.
Its bandwidth can continue to grow to over 100Gpbs to meet the needs of future high bandwidth services.