Green Communications: Principles, Concepts and Practice

Chapter 9Green Home and Enterprise Networks

Łukasz Budzisz and Adam Wolisz

Telecommunication Networks Group, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

9.1 Home and Enterprise Networks Today

9.1.1 Similarities

In home and small office environments, Internet connectivity is most typically provided with a broadband access, accounting currently for more than 650 million subscribers worldwide [1]. Among different broadband technologies, DSL is the most widespread, with 58% (or about 380 million) share of the market. Other broadband technologies are cable (19%) and fibre, with both fibre to the home (FTTH) and other forms of fibre (FTTx) accounting for 22% of all broadband subscribers.¹ The remaining subscribers are shared among wireless broadband technologies, mainly satellite using band (in Europe and the Americas) and other wireless radio technologies [1]. According to Ref. [1], the current outlook of the market sees the dominant position of the DSL technology firm, despite some customers moving to fibre that is the fastest growing segment of the market, with nearly 10% growth in the first quarter of 2013. Satellite broadband access also experiences a small rise (1.5% quarterly), providing Internet connectivity in the areas where traditional and more cost-effective fixed broadband access technologies are not available.

It is thus safe to state that most of the home environments ...