Unveiled today at the FTTH Conference in Lisbon, the FTTH Business Guide presents essential practical advice on how to develop a business case for fibre to the home, and analyses the major influences on income and expenditure, and their effect on the business plan.

The Business Guide is aimed at the complete range of prospective FTTH stakeholders, including bankers and investors, municipalities and local government, utility companies and alternative telecoms operators, real-estate developers and residential associations, as well as community and grass-roots projects.

"The complexity of starting up an FTTH project often does not get as much attention as needed,” said Karel Helsen, President of the FTTH Council Europe. “The Business Guide addresses this issue by providing a framework for new entrants in the FTTH space, to help them move forward with confidence and a quicker step."

Chapters cover key topics relevant to the crucial early stages of planning FTTH networks, including demographic analysis, FTTH business models, services and pricing, deployment strategies, types of funding, and the business plan. A selection of case studies shows how different business strategies have been applied in the real world.

Whatever the outcome of the long awaited United Nations Climate Change Conference being held in Copenhagen (COP 15), one thing is certain: they will be connected by fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) technology and offer remote participation possibilities.  The broadband connections in Denmark in general - and at the Copenhagen Bella Conference Centre in particular - not only offer ultra high-speed access but also contribute to sustainable development.

Denmark is a very suitable location to hold the debate on climate change: it is one of the leading European adopters of fibre-to-the-home technology, with a 90% increase in subscribers over the past year. It is therefore a shining example when it comes to adapting future-proof technologies that boost the economy while at the same time benefitting the environment and enhancing the quality of life of its citizens.

But there is more: the environmental benefits of fibre go beyond carbon emissions.  Further FTTH deployment will have a positive impact on depletion of stratospheric ozone, atrophication of water resources, and a reduction in other forms of greenhouse gas emissions.

To find out more about the work of the FTTH Council Europe’s Sustainable Development Committee (SUDEFIB) and assess how fibre access networks make an impact on the environment by using the web-based “FTTH Configurator”, visit the site.

The FTTH Council Europe is urging world leaders to consider the potential of fibre-to-the-home in reducing carbon emissions at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) to be held in Copenhagen, 7-18 December.
More than 180 countries will gather at this event to negotiate a new international treaty to tackle climate change. As noted by The Copenhagen Communiqué on Climate Change, an international organization representing business leaders: “The one thing we do not have is time.” That is why the FTTH Council Europe is stressing the fact that fibre-to-the-home is a future-proof technology that is ready to be deployed today, which has huge potential for reducing carbon emissions.

In 2008 the FTTH Council Europe commissioned a comprehensive study on the environmental impact of fibre-to-the-home deployment. The research, which was carried out by life-cycle assessment experts PricewaterhouseCoopers/Ecobilan, found conclusive evidence that fibre-to-the-home is a highly sustainable broadband technology with a lifetime of at least 30 years.

Savings could even be higher in many regions where roads and railways are overloaded and where municipalities are considering heavy, costly and environmentally unfriendly extensions of these facilities. Instead investment in FTTH facilities could be addressed: 1 million fibre-to-the-home users would lead to 30,000 fewer people commuting to work each day on average. Road works, hence CO2 emissions, could also be avoided. This is not taken into account in the studies.

The environmental benefits of fibre go beyond carbon emissions. The research also indicated that fibre deployment would have a positive impact on depletion of stratospheric ozone, atrophication of water resources, and a reduction in other forms of greenhouse gas emissions.
Simultaneously, many countries around the world are formulating strategies to boost their economies through universal access to high-speed broadband. The FTTH Council Europe believes that fibre-to-the-home can serve a double purpose: delivering a future-proof broadband infrastructure, while also helping nations, regions, municipalities, and operators to meet their carbon reduction objectives.

To find out more about the work of the FTTH Council Europe’s Sustainable Development Committee (SUDEFIB), and assess the environmental impact of fibre access networks using the web-based “FTTH Configurator”, visit www.sudefib.eu.