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2020.02 ISSUE 888
Stepping forward together: F5G fixed broadband and 5G
The fixed network industry has entered the era of F5G full-fiber gigabit based on 10G PON and Wi-Fi 6. Promoting dual gigabit acceleration for F5G fixed broadband and 5G mobile broadband will create a thriving industry ecosystem and open the door to a new era of development for fixed networks on a global scale.
Ao Li Deputy Secretary General, China Broadband Development Alliance
Focus
2020.02 ISSUE 88 9
The generational evolution from 1G to 5G
in the mobile communications industry
is well known. But “5G” only represents
mobile communications. What about
fixed networks? In fact, fixed networks have also
entered their fifth generation – and we call it F5G.
F5G definition and key features
The development of fixed networks has been driven
by business needs and supported by technological
advancements. First came the narrowband era
supported by PSTN/ISDN (64 Kbps). This was
followed by ADSL-based broadband (10 Mbps),
VDSL-based ultra-broadband (30–200 Mbps), and
then 100 Mbps enabled by GPON/EPON (100–300
Stepping forward together: F5G fixed broadband and 5G
Mbps). Right now we’re stepping into the 10G PON-
driven F5G gigabit ultra-fast broadband age. And
in the future we may see a 10G era based on 50G
PON.
The future of fixed networks is all-optical. The
technology that will support the F5G gigabit era is
10G PON-based full-fiber access. Compared with
previous generations of fixed access technologies,
the F5G gigabit network represents a huge leap in
three ways: bandwidth, number of connections, and
network experience.
Ultra-high bandwidth: Network bandwidth has
symmetric uplink/downlink gigabit broadband
capabilities. Wi-Fi 6 eliminates the final 10-meter
bottleneck of gigabit connections, enabling a single-
point connection experience for the cloud era.
Full-fiber connection: The comprehensive coverage
of fiber optic infrastructure will support ubiquitous
connections, including connections to every home,
machine, room, and even desktop. This in turn
will support the expansion of vertical industry
applications, a ten-fold plus increase in service
scenarios, and a 100-fold increase in the number of
connections, and thus enable the era of fiber optic
connectivity.
Ultimate experience: F5G will introduce network
slicing and built-in AI on the network side,
supporting zero packet loss and microsecond
latency. In conjunction with cloud platform AI + big
data-based intelligent O&M, this will meet users’
service requirements. F5G will continue to optimize
the home device experience and reduce Wi-Fi
latency, improving user experience for applications
like 4K video and interactive games.
These three key features of F5G will enhance user
/ Focus
2020.02 ISSUE 8810
experience in traditional home access scenarios.
Meanwhile, F5G will help optical fiber networks
overcome traditional industry barriers and
rapidly penetrate various sectors like enterprise,
transportation, security, and campuses. It will help
industries transform digitally.
China leads the world in F5G network construction
F5G gigabit network construction is in full swing.
Latest statistics published by the analysts Ovum
show that 234 operators in 57 countries have
launched gigabit broadband services. In China,
thanks to policies such as Broadband China and
increased competition, the fixed network industry
has seen some tremendous achievements. An FTTH
network covering the whole country has been
built, positioning China at the global forefront of
FTTH deployment. By the third quarter of 2019, the
penetration of users with 100 Mbps-plus access
rates in China hit 79.4 percent and the average
fixed broadband access speed had soared to an
estimated 120.2 Mbps. A total of 91.2 percent of
broadband users use fiber broadband.
This country-wide fiber-optic basic network
is a strong foundation for developing F5G
gigabit networks. A 2019 government work
report outlines plans to connect urban gigabit
broadband to the home, which will improve
distance education and telemedicine networks
and make broadband feel noticeably faster and
more stable for users.
In May 2019, the Ministry of Industry and Information
Technology (MIIT) and the State-owned Assets
Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC)
jointly issued a notice on their decision to launch a
special action in 2019 to boost the speed and reduce
the fees of broadband networks to support economic
development.
VoiceVoice/dial-up InternetPSTN/ISDN64 Kbps
Phase 1 Photos/SD videoBroadbandADSL10 Mbps
Phase 2
~1900 2000 2005 2010 2018 2025~
HD videoUltra-broadbandVDSL30–200 Mbps
Phase 3 4K HD/multiple screensOver 100 MbpsGPON/EPON100–500 Mbps
Phase 4 360-degree cloud VRGigabit ultra-fast broadband10G PON1 Gbps
Phase 5 Holographic communication?10 gigabit ultra-fast broadband50G PON1–10 Gbps
Phase 6
Broadband development stage
Focus
2020.02 ISSUE 88 11
In 2018 China’s digital economy grew 20.9 percent to reach 31.3 trillion yuan (US$4.4 trillion), accounting for 34.8 percent of GDP. The rapid development of the digital economy and construction of gigabit networks complement each other.
As part of this action, a dual gigabit
acceleration plan was proposed. It involves
deploying gigabit broadband access networks
in more than 300 cities and “studying
and formulating evaluation indicators for
gigabit cities and demonstrating gigabit
broadband applications.” In early November,
under the guidance of the MIIT, the
Broadband Development Alliance (BDA)
and the China Academy of Information and
Communications Technology (CAICT) led
an alliance of organizations in releasing the
Gigabit City Construction Indicator System.
Supported by the existing foundation and
coupled with policy guidance and assistance,
China’s gigabit innovation will thrive.
China’s three major operators, China
Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom,
are also promoting the deployment of 10G
PON gigabit networks and exploring gigabit
applications. Statistics show that as of the
fourth quarter of 2019, 59 provincial-level
operators in China issued commercial gigabit
packages. And the figure continues to grow.
F5G accelerates the incubation of new service applications
China Digital Economic Development and
Employment White Paper (2019) reveals
that in 2018 China’s digital economy grew
20.9 percent to reach 31.3 trillion yuan
(US$4.4 trillion), accounting for 34.8 percent
of GDP. The rapid development of the
digital economy and construction of gigabit
networks complement each other.
China’s BDA has also explored F5G gigabit
applications in some depth. On June 26,
2019, it released Gigabit Broadband Network
Business Scenarios White Paper, offering
a systematic examination and synopsis of
ten typical business use cases for the F5G
gigabit network era. The ten use cases
are cloud VR, smart home, gaming, social
networking, cloud desktops, enterprise
cloud, online education, telemedicine, and
smart manufacturing. The paper proposes
market spaces, business models, and network
requirements relevant to the business use
cases.
These use cases can bring users a better
experience. The industry ecosystems and
commercial applications are relatively
mature and place high demands on network
bandwidth. As such, they will become typical
service applications in the F5G gigabit era.
For cloud VR application development,
for example, the industry has already
built a complete end-to-end ecosystem
and developed large-scale deployment
capabilities. Typical application scenarios
include cloud VR, giant screen cinemas,
live streaming, 360-degree video, gaming,
music, education, and marketing, which will
revolutionize the way people live. On October
10, 2019, the world’s first dual-gigabit cloud
VR service was launched by China Telecom
Sichuan, officially marking the start of
commercial adoption of cloud VR services.
Since 2018, China’s three main operators
have worked with industry partners
to carry out a large number of service
innovations based on gigabit broadband.
China Telecom, for example, has launched
Smart Broadband, which includes products,
Stepping forward together: F5G fixed broadband and 5G / Focus
2020.02 ISSUE 8812
applications, and services in five major
areas: smart connectivity, smart TV, smart
networking, smart applications, and smart
services. China Unicom’s Smart Broadband
includes smart TV, smart home, WO HOME
landline, and WO HOME smart surveillance.
These services harness 5G, broadband
gigabit, and gigabit home Wi-Fi. China
Mobile has launched the Dual Gigabit Plan
and rolled out a wide variety of gigabit
home integration packages, boosting home
broadband quality and offering both gigabit
home broadband and 5G services.
With the three pillars of business models,
industry ecosystem, and network foundation
in place, F5G gigabit networks will spawn
more use cases. Exploring these business
use cases and promoting the construction of
larger ecosystem platforms will better foster
the sustainable and healthy development of
the gigabit industry.
Hybrid synergy for a thriving gigabit industry
The fixed network industry has seen
tremendous changes in terms of applications,
technology, and network architecture. It has
now entered the era of F5G full-fiber gigabit
based on 10G PON and Wi-Fi 6. The 10G PON
standard was released in 2013. The technology,
industry chain, and products are now fully
mature. The main manufacturers are capable
of mass producing 10G PON core processing
chips and optical modules, and the market is
entering the large-scale deployment stage.
In 2018, ITU-T officially initiated the 50G PON
standards project based on deploying one
generation while preparing for the next. This
established and unified next-gen PON network
standards, which will guide the development
direction of future PON technology.
Meanwhile, 802.11ax-based Wi-Fi 6 has been
comprehensively improved in terms of capacity,
coverage, and performance, and can truly
provide a last-meter gigabit experience for
enterprise and home users.
Commercial gigabit broadband services have
been deployed in more than 50 countries
and will become the mainstream application
for the next decade. By 2025, the number
of connected devices worldwide is predicted
to reach 100 billion and gigabit broadband
penetration is expected to rise to 30 percent.
Network connections will be ubiquitous.
And by fully harnessing fiber networks’ ultra-
high bandwidth and 5G networks’ mobility
as part of deep fixed-mobile hybrid synergy,
combined with the mass connectivity of both,
this will make the 2H/2B/2C all-scenario smart
life possible. Gigabit broadband will become
the key foundation of innovative applications
in all industries.
At the same time, large-scale innovative
commercial applications will highlight the
need to upgrade fixed network resources and
5G investment. This will urge vertical industry
applications and network infrastructure
investment, forming a virtuous closed loop of
sustainable development. In the future, F5G
and 5G will develop in tandem. Promoting
both fixed broadband and mobile broadband
(dual gigabit acceleration) will drive an industry
ecosystem that’s prosperous for all and open
the door to a new era of development for
global fixed networks.
By 2025, the number of connected devices worldwide is predicted to reach 100 billion and gigabit broadband penetration is expected to rise to 30 percent.
Focus