NEC and OptiComm partnership for FTTH

NEC has partnered with telecommunications wholesaler, OptiComm, to supply an open access Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) network to new businesses and homes around Australia.

With NEC supplying core and access technology, OptiComm plans to build and maintain the FTTH infrastructure for more than 50,000 contracted lots for residential and mixed business developments. Existing homes and businesses will eventually be serviced as the telecoms provider aims to significantly increase the scope of its FTTH network in the next five years.

OptiComm general manager, Phil Smith, cited performance and price as crucial factors in forging an alliance with NEC.

“We were looking for a better price point for technology and we were looking for someone to provide us the fibre optic technology that is in line with the company’s direction,” Smith said. “NEC appealed to us because the equipment is designed in Australia so we would have ready access to their research and development staff. We were also impressed that their technology is deployed from Australia to the rest of the world.”

NEC executive general manager, Micheal Johannessen, said the deal is worth more than $5 million annually.

“It is still in the early days but it can grow substantially in the next few years,” he said.

OptiComm’s FTTH has download speeds of up to 100Mbps. Depending on the back end equipment of the access seeker, an equivalent upload speed can be also be achieved. With a consistent rate of data transfer, OptiComm’s FTTH service has the potential to compete with Telstra's upgraded Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) which gives up to 100Mbps download and only 2Mbps upload speed.

The optic fibre network can also give access to analogue and digital free to air television in metropolitan and regional areas.