
This chapter will focus on the fiber-based approaches to broadband access
worldwide, including som e of the drivers for deployment, the architectural
options, the capita l and operational costs, the technol ogical advances, and the
future potential of these systems. Three variants of fiber-based broadband access,
collectively called FTTx (fiber to the x) in this chapter, have emerged as particu-
larly important. They are hybrid-fiber-coax (HFC) systems, fiber-to-the-cabinet
(FTTC) systems, and FTTH systems.
10.2 USER DEMOGRAPHICS
One of the most dramatic and unexpected drivers for fiber-based broadband access
has been the explosive growth of the internet ...