Wired
Thinking Outside the Box: Serving MTUs With Fiber
Key Points
- CableLabs’ FTTP Operators Forum brings together industry experts to tackle fiber deployment challenges and accelerate network progress through collaborative problem-solving.
- In a recent meeting, member operators from around the world discussed their approaches to connecting complex, multi-tenant buildings — highlighting regional differences and practical deployment considerations.
When we chartered the FTTP Operators Forum, our goal was to create a space where technology experts, engineers, business leaders and operations professionals could share real-world insights, compare strategies and discuss fiber to the premises (FTTP) challenges. The goal is simple: promote industry collaboration and accelerate progress toward more interoperable, efficient fiber networks.
In our most recent meeting, we saw just how consistently deployments in multi-tenant units (MTUs) pose the same technical and logistical challenges around the world. While these buildings share many similarities, local regulations, construction standards and even cultural factors can shape how operators approach each project. Regardless of geography, the goals remain the same: simplify deployment, improve scalability and deliver reliable, high-speed service.
Beyond Strategy: Practical Realities
In this meeting, North American and European operators discussed their strategies for connecting fiber to units in multi-tenant buildings. Discussions included shared infrastructure designs and the role of coax in hybrid deployments. As an American, I found the European perspective particularly enlightening, highlighting how construction rules in some regions make full-fiber builds more difficult, and how hybrid approaches like mini-Remote PHY Device (RPD) and some new-to-market products are providing practical alternatives.
What stood out was a recurring theme of practicality — how to design and deploy networks that balance performance, cost and ease of installation. Even seemingly small details such as equipment weight, who is responsible for electrical grounding and bonding, and the difficulties of placement in small spaces can have a huge impact on long-term reliability and supportability. These operational insights often get lost in high-level strategy conversations, but they’re essential for successful network rollouts.
As we look ahead to our next session in December — where we’ll dive into passive optical network (PON) evolution and migration paths to 10G, 25G, 50G and even 100G — we’re eager to continue the momentum we’ve built. CableLabs looks forward to continuing these conversations with our member operators to identify not only the technical gaps that need to be addressed, but also the shared priorities that unite them worldwide.
Join Us in Shaping the Future
Every meeting like this reinforces why I stay engaged: to listen, to learn and to help solve the technical and operational challenges that operators face every day. Innovation in this space continues to accelerate, and it’s exciting to be part of a community working together to make fiber networks better for everyone.
CableLabs remains committed to fostering collaboration across the industry, uniting diverse operator perspectives to accelerate progress toward interoperable, high-performing fiber networks.
Feeling left out? We invite you to bring your fiber expertise to the table and help drive real-world innovation in next-generation FTTP networks — join the FTTP Operators Forum!