Key considerations for fibre to the business (FTTB) deployment

In South Africa, the demand for fast and reliable connectivity among businesses has reached unprecedented levels. As many organizations are now encouraging their staff to return to the office, and the emphasis on agility and innovation in cloud and digital infrastructure continues to rise, the significance of implementing the appropriate fibre to the business (FTTB) has surged dramatically.

According to Tim Wood, Executive Head: IS & IT at Vox, each business has its own unique requirements and digital transformation needs which have to be considered when looking for the right connectivity solution.

“Given the ongoing inevitable enhancements that come with moving to the cloud and digital technology, there are certain capabilities that are reliant on your office infrastructure being up to scratch,” says Wood.

This includes cloud migration and computing. Given that many employees still work within a hybrid landscape,  it is integral for a business to be able to connect from wherever you are. “Integrating digital transformation across the organisation and the ability to access and leverage big data and the opportunities presented by AI and machine learning all depend on an optimal office environment, based on a foundation of fast, reliable connectivity.

Wood emphasizes that a crucial aspect of every business’s digitization process is selecting the appropriate technology partner. “Crafting a firm’s office fibre infrastructure goes beyond simply charting fibre connections. Each company’s connectivity solution must be tailored to its specific needs, aligning with its digital transformation objectives,” he states.

He further highlights the importance of thorough preparation before making any decisions. This involves evaluating a partner’s track record, examining their coverage, and meticulously reviewing SLAs, contracts, and terms and conditions before making any commitments.

Budget, broadband and bandwidth

Aligning with the financial resources available is another step to assess the right connectivity to match the requirements of the business This includes factoring in whether to invest in Broadband or Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) If reliable, uncontended high-performance access is a firm requirement, then DIA needs to be budgeted for. The same goes for  Ethernet deployments run over dedicated fibre links which guarantees reliable performance but at a higher cost.

ISPs can offer various bandwidth options ranging from 5 Mbps to 1 Gbps or even 10 Gbps.  For those businesses that consume more data than they upload, cost effective asymmetrical alternatives have now also started becoming a popular option. Knowing how many users and devices will connect and the amount of traffic these devices will download and upload as well as when peak utilisation is expected, will help a technology partner to marry the right bandwidth with the business.

Many businesses may also have specific requirements for prioritising certain types of traffic such as voice over IP or video streaming) which needs to be factored into quality of service on offer.

Another cost consideration comes into play when assessing whether a static public IP address or a dynamically assigned IP Address is needed. Static IP addressing, a requirement of many businesses needing a constant fixed point of reference for devices connected to the internet, comes at a cost and is one of the many budgetary considerations to keep in mind.

Prioritising safety and security

No digital transformation consideration can be made without prioritising data safety and network security. When designing a solution, an ISP needs to understand a business’s requirements upfront, including factors such as security policies, encryption standards, firewall and intrusion detection and prevention, network segmentation, authentication mechanisms as well as end-point security.

A VPN encrypts internet traffic and prevents outside parties from being about to intercept and access sensitive information, a critical aspect across both a corporate network and to facilitate remote work ecosystems.

A critical step when choosing an ISP is to assess these capabilities as well as whether they offer robust protection against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.

Agility, scalability and connectivity

Few businesses today can afford not to adapt and scale according to the changing environment, and the same applies to an FTTB service, which needs to adapt and scale with the business according to changing needs.

Other considerations include incorporating alternative access routes to prevent downtime when connectivity fails. If available, Alternative Fibre Network Operators (FNOs) or wireless solutions need to be factored into the design of a company’s solution framework.

This framework can also include utilising VOIP solutions to enhance communication and reduce costs.

Both hybrid and office-based work environments can also be enhanced by incorporating tools such as Cloud PBX and platforms such as Microsoft Teams to further enhance collaborative workflows.

Implementation considerations

After identifying all the initial requirements and commencing implementation, it’s crucial to consider steps that can accelerate the process. While the ISP may possess the expertise to address digital transformation requirements, businesses should proactively mitigate potential installation delays and prolonged timelines. This involves ensuring infrastructure readiness and obtaining required wayleave and landlord approvals.

By carefully evaluating these factors, a company can collaborate with the appropriate technology service provider to ensure that their FTTB deployment aligns with the budget, performance standards, speed requirements, and scalability objectives.