The FTTH Council Americas
Toolkit for Communities: Getting to a Gigabit

Communities across the Americas are discovering that their future economic development and quality of life is becoming evermore dependent on the speed of the networks that their citizens can access. Gigabit-enabled networks are now possible and are beginning to appear in some communities, with expectations that these superfast, all-fiber services will become standard within a few short years. But how can civic, business and political leaders begin the process of bringing these services to their own communities? This wiki contains a wealth of resources on all-fiber networks and the opportunity to contribute their own experiences in the effort to keep on the cutting edge of broadband.

Before you go any further, please watch this video introduction from the President of the FTTH Council Americas, Heather Burnett Gold:

1. Introduction

Information and resources for communities that are looking to benefit from next-generation, all-fiber connectivity.

Purpose of this Toolkit

The purpose of the FTTH Community Toolkit is to provide communities with a roadmap for the deployment of gigabit broadband over fiber infrastructure.

Basic Information on FTTH
FAQ's and other information on all-fiber networks from the FTTH Council.

FTTH Glossary of Terms
A brief document covering the basic terminology used in FTTH network deployment.

Presentation: FTTH Basics and Network Design
This presentation compares FTTH to other available technologies, demonstrates how all aspects of the communications network are using fiber and presents the basic network topology. Topics covered include Drivers for FTTx, Why fiber, Fiber feeds everything, Flavors of FTTX, Nuts and bolts – the components, Installation techniques, and Network design configurations.

2012 FTTH Primer
This publication, produced by Broadband Communities, provides an excellent overview of FTTH and the value of ultra high speed networks in community-level efforts to build an economic future and better quality of life.

Video: Australia's Fiber-Enabled National Broadband Network (NBN)
Australia is in the midst of a national project to bring FTTH to more than 90 percent of its citizens. Civic and political leaders there have decided that having almost ubiquitous access to the very fastest Internet connections is essential the country's economic future. Learn more about it in this video...

2. Value Proposition: Why Gigabit Broadband over Fiber Infrastructure?

Presentation - Why All-Fiber Gigabit Networks Matter to Your Community
This presentation, created by the Fiber-to-the-Home Council Americas, discusses how increasingly sophisticated telecommunications services and applications are driving an acceleration of bandwidth needs, and how telecom providers and communities need to be thinking how they are going to keep up with these demands.

Value Proposition for Communities - Google Fiber's Project in Kansas City
Benefits from deploying gigabit broadband over fiber are wide ranging, as Google executives and civic leaders from Kansas City discuss in this video below...

A CNN report from December 2012 highlights the progress that Google Fiber is making, particularly in drawing small, high-tech entrepreneurs into the area to access the gigabit connectivity.

Next-Generation Applications that Will Be Powered by Ultra High Speed Networks
The FTTH Council Americas commissioned this study by the consulting firm CSMG to explore the kinds of futuristic applications that will be enabled as all-fiber networks expand and provide the bandwidth to make them possible.

Case studies and other documentation from communities where FTTH has been deployed

Believe it or not, there are already more than a thousand telecom network operators and service providers across North America that have upgraded to FTTH. The vast majority of these are local incumbent telephone companies that are looking to transform themselves from voice and DSL providers into 21st century broadband companies that can deliver ultra high speed internet and robust video services, as well as be able to deliver other high-bandwidth digital applications and services to homes and businesses in the years ahead.

For example, one member of the FTTH Council, GVTC, which is located in the northern exurbs of San Antonio, Texas, is a 60-year-old telephone cooperative that is winning the competition for subscribers through its upgrade to all-fiber. GVTC is the story of how FTTH can take a small communications company to business success while bringing world-class connectivity to the Texas Hill Country, as evidenced in this FTTH Council video....

Note: Click here If you would like to download a copy of the GVTC video.

Case Study - City of Wilson, NC

Following the collapse of key industries, a town of 50,000 in eastern North Carolina had to make a hard choice. It wanted to support existing businesses and attract new ones but the cable and telephone companies were not interested in upgrading their networks for cutting edge capacity.  Download a report on how Wilson, NC built its own FTTH network.

Here below are other stories of telecom providers across the U.S. that have upgraded to FTTH...

• ATMC, A Rural Telephone Co-op in North Carolina Deploying FTTH
• Co-Mo Electric
• CTS Michigan
• Gervais Telephone Company in Oregon
• Highland (TN) Telephone Cooperative
• Morristown Utility's FiberNET
• North Dakota Co-op Focuses on FTTH for Network Longevity
• Northeast Louisiana Telephone Company
• Paul Bunyan Communications

Download List of FTTH Providers That Are Currently Offering Gigabit Speeds

Economic studies on benefits from gigabit/fiber deployments

The Transformative Effects of FTTP
Strategic Network Group reports on the types of economic benefits that all-fiber networks can bring to communities.

3. Building and Implementing the Business Plan

Process for Developing and Implementing the Business Case

Creating The Business Case for FTTH in Your Community
The Fiber-to-the-Home Council Americas has created this presentation to help you understand the essential elements of creating a business case for building a gigabit-enabled network and bringing next-generation connectivity to your community.

Creating an Asset Inventory
In today’s market, the total costs to the network provider for an upgrade or new deployment often outweigh the benefits. This reality reflects the network providers’ investment equation, in which incremental capital expenditures and operating expenses outweigh the incremental risk adjusted benefits. Communities face the challenge of reversing that equation. To change the math, communities can revise existing policy and regulatory procedures to use their assets to lower costs and increase potential revenues. A critical step to “changing the math” is to determine which assets exist in your community and how they can be used to alter the equation. Gig.U has designed an assessment worksheet to help your community identify assets, to explain those assets’ relationship to the investment equation and how each asset or opportunity can be managed to create a favorable environment for investment in a next generation network project. Click here to read more about it and to download the worksheet.

Example of an Initial Financial Spreadsheet
Courtesy of the Blandin Foundation.

Costs to Deploy
The consulting group CSMG has prepared this study on the costs of deploying all-fiber networks, and how the per-household costs have been declining over the years.

Webinar: Successful Strategies for FTTH 
With consumers need for bandwidth continually growing, service providers are challenged with finding a cost-effective means to meet this demand. Fiber to the Home (FTTH) has quickly become the answer for many service providers.  This recorded webinar showcases some of the latest advancements in FTTH technology and shows how service providers can make this a cost-effective solution to expand their reach and service area.  The webinar page also includes a cost and ROI worksheet for download.

State and Federal Resources to Help You with Your Project
We've pulled together a list of federal agencies and programs that have financial resources and other measures to reduce capital and operating costs for telecom providers and communities that are looking to deploy broadband networks. In addition, we've listed relevant public and private agencies in the states -- on a state by state basis -- that could be of help in providing expertise and resources.

• Go to the Federal Resources page
• Go to the list of states to select your state 

4. Model RFPs

Download the RFP Templates Module

We are grateful to Gig.U for putting together this outstanding array of RFP guides. Browse through the various templates that are designed to give communities models for their RFP's for next-generation, ultra high speed networks. There are six different models that are tailored to apply to a variety of circumstances.

5. Resources

Federal Resources
An outline of applicable departments and programs in the U.S. government that could be helpful in providing or identifying resources for organizations, companies and communities looking to bring in next-generation networks.

State Resources
We have compiled information of potential grant and knowledge resources and partnership opportunities for all 50 states -- including links to relevant web sites. You can find your state here and see what we have. In some cases you will find statutes and regulations applicable to community fiber deployment.

Presentation: Fiber to the Home – Structuring Partnerships for Success (Public and Private)
Lawrence Freedman, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP This presentation explores strategies for structuring private and public partnerships and joint ventures for provisioning FTTH services, focusing on core strategic and regulatory issues.

6. Building Community Support

The city of Lafayette, Louisiana decided it wanted to build its future on an all-fiber infrastructure. In this FTTH Council video, learn how the city's FTTH network is energizing commerce, learning and culture in the heart of Cajun Country...

Click here if you would like to download a copy of the LUS video.

Google's Roll Out in Kansas City

EBP's Roll out in Chattanooga

Finding Champions

Every successful FTTH project has had at its inception either a single individual or a core of individuals who were willing to champion the project from start to finish. Often, as seen in the HBC study below, these are members of the town's/region's Economic Development Authority. They understand the implications for the community's sustainability of having all-fiber networks and often the business acumen to assist in the assessments necessary for the development of a credible business case.

Connecting with Your Community
Gary Evans, President and CEO, Hiawatha Broadband Communications, Winona, MN, writes about the early challenges of building an ultra high speed network, the importance of building community support for the project, and the need to ensure that you don't "get so wrapped up in the busy-ness of planning and construction that you forget the elements that can make the network successful – sometimes even before activation."

Engaging Stakeholders
Bell Aliant, a successful FTTH provider in Canada, offers this presentation on best practices for engaging stakeholders and preparing local communities for the roll-out of high-speed, all-fiber services.

The Community Decision Tree
The Blandin Foundation's thoughts on how to drive community decisions to pursue ultra high speed networks.

7. Managing the Project

Going to Contract: Ensuring terms and conditions are sufficient

Initiating contract negotiations for a community-led broadband deployment is, in terms of procurement regulations, essentially the same as any other large-scale procurement. While the technologies and individual elements of the agreement will vary from community to community, state and municipal procurement policies must be followed. Since contracting is such a complex “give and take” process, there is no substitute for the advice of sound legal and technical counsel throughout the process. Therefore, we have opted to refrain from providing any advice that could be condisidered to be legal in nature and/or appear to be an attempt to “cookie-cutter” a very complex process. This is why we have provided the Google/KC agreement as just an example.

Google Fiber Agreement with Kansas City
Google has provided us with a copy of its agreement with Kansas City for the FTTH project the company is building there.

Deploying the Network

After sorting out project management and contract details, it is important to be aware of the physical limitations and challenges of actually laying out and deploying the fiber. Different building sizes, locations and materials warrant different methods. Below you will find resources that strategies and approaches that address the different types of fiber deployments and installations.

White Paper: Stimulating Your Fiber Deployment: Planning the Life Cycle Management of Your FTTH Rollout
Finance, equipment and buildout overshadow operational needs of a FTTH deployment in the early stages of a project. On first consideration, this makes perfect sense because as a percentage of capital expenditure, the OSS is insignificant when compared to the cost of fiber, equipment and labor. With the benefit of experience, another perspective emerges, which is explored in this white paper. Get the accompanying slide presentation here.

White Paper: Good Engineering Practices Relative to Broadband Deployment in Rural Areas
From the Association of Communications Engineers. Good engineering practices applicable to the deployment of telecommunications systems require sound planning and careful consideration of the overall project or system objectives, alternatives, user requirements, proposed system capabilities, available resources, restrictions or limitations, economic life cycles, public health & safety and other social impacts. This paper outlines high level engineering considerations applicable to broadband telecommunications systems, especially as they relate to the derivation of Universal Service Funds for Broadband in the United States.

White Paper:Underground Installation Methods for Fiber Optic Cables
Contractors who specialize in fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) installation can face many challenges on job sites. Many of these challenges can be tackled before the project even begins through selection of the best suited installation method. This document provides recommendations for selecting the most efficient method of installation based on key factors such as job site location, other utilities installed, and whether the cable will be direct buried or installed in conduit. Click here to get another report on underground installation methods, including the newest techniques (such as microtrenching), equipment, and strategies for the challenge of building underground networks with minimal disruption to the community.

Fiber Testing - The Fundamentals for Successful Broadband Deployment
This document sets the test requirements for qualifying the fiber portion of a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network prior to equipment installation and turn-up.

Deploying to Multi-Dwelling Units

• White Paper: Bringing FTTH to Low-Rise Multidwelling Units (MDUs) Multidwelling Units have their own set of challenges in regards to fiber deployment. This paper by examines creative methods for installing fiber in low-rise and mid-rise multidwelling units in an efficient, cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing way.
• White Paper: Ways to Solve the MDU Challenge of Deploying Fiber to the Subscriber The business case of today’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployments is often greatly influenced by the ability to deploy fiber effectively to the end user living in multidwelling units (MDUs). Reaching several customers by installing a single-fiber network for the whole building is surely attractive to obtain a quick ROI. However, there are some critical considerations to be made before the deployment starts and various challenges to overcome once the build-out has started. This paper will review the main factors influencing the decision to choose the right MDU architectures.
• Evolutions in Network Components Impacting FTTH Deployment in Brownfield MDUs - This paper will review the evolution of key network components which have influenced FTTH deployment methods, specifically in brownfield MDUs.

Smart Grid

A Key Element for Smart Electric Grids The development of Smart Electric Grids has become essential for utilities and consumers in order to gain the efficiencies and economics necessary to support load growth, new environmental standards and keep consumer costs at reasonable levels. Fiber to the Home (FTTH) is a key element that provides the medium to connect smart consumer devices to the local utilities Smart Grid network.

Using Outside Consultants

• Presentation: Working with FTTH consulting engineers - Several consulting networking engineers and design-build firms offer their qualifications and views on the essential elements of planning, designing and building an ultra high speed network.
• Presentation: Outsourcing partners for FTTH builds - More outside FTTH consultants presenting their credentials, elements of the services they offer and what they see as the key stages and goals of a deployment.

Network Operations

White Paper: Preparing Back-Office Systems to Support FTTH Networks
Telecommunications operators are investing billions of dollars for new high-speed broadband infrastructure – FTTH, 4G, VDSL2 – in order to support more services like IPTV, VoD, home management services, cloud storage and remote backup. However, many operators are still struggling to fill these pipes with incremental products and services that customers are willing to pay for because they are using an outdated approach to selling, ordering, and delivering services. To make the necessary transformation, they need a different yet reliable, way to sell and deliver services, generate increased ARPU and ultimately achieve an acceptable return on what is a massive capital investment. Get the accompanying slide presentation here.

Business Operations and Marketing

Presentation: Becoming an FTTH Organization
A manager from Bell Aliant discusses how the company transitioned from a telephone company into a provider of ultra high bandwidth services via FTTH. He covers Delivery Management leadership for the footprint, service development and operational readiness components.

White Paper: Planting Your FTTH Project Into Your Corporate Culture
David Packard, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard, once said, “Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department.” Marketing, though typically the result of a single department, is everyone’s responsibility. Because at one point or another, everything that everyone in your organization does, will touch the customer. It’s these touch points that define who you are as a company and, ultimately, define the perceived value of the products and services you offer your customer. This white paper is a case study of how OmniTel Communications, a telecommunications company located in Nora Springs, Iowa, planted their $35 million fiberoptic project into their corporate culture with the expressed purpose of creating a more customer-friendly experience.