Many Russian users go online, taking advantage of one of the latest communication technologies - GPON. The infrastructure built on the basis of this standard is actively used by leading Russian and world telecommunication companies. What are the features of this technology? What are its advantages over competitive solutions?
Key Facts About Technology
What is GPON technology, the connection to which is becoming widespread in many large cities of Russia? This communication channel is a passive fiber-optic network capable of providing Internet access at a very high speed - hundreds of megabits / second. Moreover, this technology allows the provider to provide a large number of related services for the subscriber - IP-telephony, digital television, etc. Many experts believe that in terms of providing Internet access, GPON is the most promising technology.
The fact is that, unlike many other communication technologies, digital data using GPON technology is transmitted not through a metal conductor, but through a light channel. This is usually a fraction of a second faster. But on the scale of a large city or region, the difference in the speed of data exchange can be very noticeable. Also, the transmission of a light pulse, as a rule, requires less energy than the transfer of a signal through a metal wire. This, according to many experts, is due to a number of factors that determine the economic efficiency of GPON technology.
The maximum length of a fiber-optic cable, within which a stable signal can be transmitted, is 20 km, technologies are being developed that can make it possible to increase this figure to 60 km. The global spread of GPON technology began in the mid-90s, aided by the consolidated efforts of several leading global telecommunications companies.
Tariffing
What are the tariffs offered by modern Russian providers using GPON? Everything, of course, depends on the specific region of the Russian Federation and the city. As a rule, in the European part of Russia, the Internet is much cheaper, regardless of the communication technology used, than in the Far East. But if we take the tariffing for the regions of the Middle Band, then we can focus on such values.
Megabits cheap
For Internet access at a speed of about 10-12 megabits / sec, the provider will ask about 300-400 rubles per month. If the user needs a larger resource, for example, 20-25 megabits, this will cost about 500-700 rubles. The pattern in determining the “formula” of the tariff is approximately the following - the more expensive the monthly subscription, the less the cost of a single “megabit”.
Many providers provide their subscribers for free use the necessary equipment. Moreover, in many cases, the access service provider is ready to send the client home to configure the devices of the master, who will also take nothing. That is, payment for the tariff is practically all the expenses that are borne by the subscriber. At least in this format, a service is provided based on GPON from MGTS (reviews of many subscribers contain unambiguously positive ratings regarding this option) - one of the largest and most actively developing providers of Russia in terms of mastering new technology.
Comparison with ADSL
Before GPON technology began to be widely used for organizing Internet access, ADSL access was a standard communication standard used by Russian providers. In principle, and now in many cities it is considered the main one. Even in the Russian capital, many subscribers are connected through it. The main advantages of ADSL in comparison with GPON are that Internet access can be arranged on the basis of an existing telephone line.
As a rule, no additional installation work is required. In turn, ADSL, as a rule, significantly loses the new technology in speed. If Internet access at 20-25 megabits per second for GPON is more likely the norm, in the case of using ADSL, in most cases an exception.
Economic option
However, in comparison with the indicators for GPON, Internet tariffs through ADSL are usually lower. And this is more profitable for many users, since they are sufficient for most of their tasks to perform at the speeds that are available using older technology, namely 3-5 megabits per second. This indicator, in particular, allows you to comfortably download any web page, view video, listen to music, chat on Skype. Setting up a GPON connection, on the one hand, can be a bit more complicated than the corresponding steps when working with an ADSL channel. This may apply to both software and hardware. However, as we have already said, in many cases the provider provides its subscribers with the corresponding services absolutely free of charge.
GPON disadvantages
What are the shortcomings of this technology experts say? Some experts, for example, believe that the claimed speed of 300 or more megabits per second for individuals cannot be achieved in most cases. Just because the bulk of modems adapted to use optical fiber at home (and almost all of those that are provided by providers for free), cannot technologically transfer data via Wi-Fi at speeds above 70-80 megabits. While for many Moscow users it is advisable to use the connection only in a wireless format. Although in some statements by MGTS representatives, GPON access for metropolitan subscribers will be provided through more modern Wi-Fi modems, in particular those operating at a frequency of 5 GHz. While most current operate at 2.4 GHz.
Economic factor
Among the shortcomings of an economic nature noted by experts that are characteristic of GPON-based networks (many financial analysts confirm this), despite the low energy consumption for signal transmission, the equipment needed to organize a full-fledged infrastructure is expensive and pays off quite slowly. Therefore, according to experts, it is advisable to introduce such technologies when the provider is confident that a sufficiently large number of clients will be able to connect to the GPON. At the same time, according to some analysts, providers who invested in modernization of the communication infrastructure in a timely manner, in particular in favor of switching to GPON, can subsequently reduce the operating costs associated with maintaining the functionality of networks by several times.
Competitive solutions
What could be the alternatives used by MGTS GPON technology? Among these, experts note the DOCSIS standard, actively used by another Moscow provider - Akado. This technology involves the "hybrid" use of fiber optic channels - in terms of organizing communications between the provider's servers and subscribers' houses, as well as television cables laid in many metropolitan apartments - as user sites of the corresponding Internet access scheme. The main advantage of this technology over GPON (reviews by many Akado users focus on this particular aspect) - there is no need for noisy installation work in the apartment.
The typical access speed provided to metropolitan subscribers today is about 110 megabits, but technically this figure can be increased to 400, as many experts note.
Cable or fiber
Another advantage of DOCSIS over GPON (reviews by IT experts confirm this) is that the television cable is much better protected from possible damage. It often happens, for example, that homeowners accidentally step on fiber, put furniture, the wire from this quickly fails. Often this is not a "guarantee case" - the wizard from the provider, of course, will come, but this time not for free. In addition, a coaxial TV cable can be quite easily configured on its own, based on the convenience of its placement in the apartment. For example, if two of its segments are formed, you can connect them together with a simple coupling. With fiber in this sense, as a rule, more difficult.
New Giants Confrontation
Another solution that can be a competitor to GPON from MGTS (reviews of many experts, at least contain positive assessments regarding its prospects) is FTTB technology. It is activated by VimpelCom, the structure that owns the Beeline brand.
By the way, an interesting fact can be noted: MGTS is a subsidiary of another Russian mobile operator, MTS. GPON, competing with FTTB, to some extent continues the confrontation between MTS and Beeline in their traditional markets. The access speed when using the technology in question is about 100 megabits. At the same time, as some experts note, technically it is possible to increase the figure to 1 gigabit.
We also note that MGTS is by no means the only Russian provider of communication services that uses advanced fiber-optic technology. Actively connects its subscribers to the Internet based on GPON Rostelecom, many regional providers.
GPON and the Russian communications market
Let's consider what are the marketing aspects of implementing GPON in Russia. As we noted above, one of the leading providers in the Russian Federation providing Internet access is the Moscow City Telephone Network. MGTS GPON (reviews of this service are found in large numbers on thematic portals) - a service in which Muscovites can access online at a speed of about 300-500 megabits / sec. More than 3 million subscribers of the Russian capital have the technical ability to connect to the network using the new technology. Moreover, the demand for the service is supported not so much by the need for high speed as such, as some experts note, but by the fact that users from the Russian Federation are used to using several devices at once to access the Internet - a PC, tablet, smartphone. The demand for Internet television is also high. Therefore, in aggregate, Moscow users need a decent access speed so that the channel resources are enough for each of the devices used.
Ambitious plans
MGTS, a subsidiary of MTS, a GPON network in the aspect of maximum geography of presence in the capital is going to deploy by 2017. There is evidence that the corresponding period may be adjusted - the company will complete the tasks faster in 2015. According to MGTS, the campaign related to the transfer of Internet access infrastructure to GPON technology will pay for itself within 7 years.
GPON technology (the reviews of many IT experts are very positive in this regard) can become an effective basis for the deployment of other communication standards. Such as, for example, 4G Internet in the LTE standard. Both technological and economic aspects can play a role here. There is evidence that the MGON GPON infrastructure (reviews of many market analysts confirm this) is going to use MTS, which is actively implementing 4G standards. The statements of representatives of this brand, voiced in some media outlets, have the thesis that MTS will become the only metropolitan operator to build a 4G network entirely based on fiber optic channels.
GPON is more promising?
According to some analysts, companies that use the GPON technology - Rostelecom, MGTS and other providers - get at their disposal a resource that still has a slightly greater development potential than using most competing communication standards. This is largely due to the fact that the level of competition in the GPON segment is still slightly lower than, for example, among providers using the FTTB concept.
GPON in the global market
As a technology for accessing the Internet, GPON (reviews by many experts confirm this) is less common in Russia than, for example, in Western countries. Although in recent years, providers operating in the Russian Federation, as many analysts believe, have taken several serious steps forward, overcoming the possible lag behind their foreign colleagues in the development of new technology. However, it can be noted that standards such as DSL are still among the most actively involved in the world. At the same time, the global growth in GPON connections over the past few years is about 20% annually.
Many experts are sure that even in the most technologically advanced countries there is no consensus on which of the broadband access technologies is most effective. In many countries of Asia and the Middle East, GPON technology is being introduced very actively - in a number of countries it occupies more than half of the market in the corresponding communications segment. In Europe, Sweden is recognized as one of the leaders in the implementation of GPON standards. At the same time, according to some analysts, the Russian market is quite capable of achieving comparable indicators, reflecting the level of introduction of new technology.