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

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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

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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