Case Study: Etisalat achieves nationwide FTTH coverage with Huawei fiber solutions

Huawei Lights Fiber to the Home

Etisalat, the UAE’s leading telecommunications operator, needed to replace a mainly copper-based fixed-line network that could not keep up with growing bandwidth demands. ADSL/ADSL2+ were insufficient, VDSL2 was inefficient for remote and scattered communities, and the existing broadband setup was complex, costly, and difficult to maintain. Huawei was brought in to support the move to a fiber-based access strategy, including GPON technology and related FTTx solutions.

Huawei helped Etisalat deploy a large-scale FTTH network using high-capacity convergent OLTs, feeder-ring GPON architecture, and passive optical technology to simplify the network and extend fiber coverage up to 20 km. The solution delivered high reliability with 99.999% system availability and supported more than 16,000 users per subrack. As a result, Etisalat activated more than a million fiber subscribers in the UAE, reached Abu Dhabi and 80% national FTTH coverage by the end of 2010, and enabled triple-play services including voice, high-speed Internet, and HD IPTV.

Etisalat