CCI Systems Blog

Deploying intelligence deeper into the access network is expected to drive economic growth and create new opportunities for businesses and consumers in the near future. This includes integrating the Internet of Things (IoT), edge compute, and smart services into every network. Businesses can leverage these technologies to improve productivity, reduce costs, and create new revenue streams by enabling greater connectivity and access to data and services. Increasing demand for smart services and the IoT is driving a significant need for more intelligence further into a network, particularly in rural areas with limited broadband connectivity. As a result, telecommunication companies and service providers are investing in edge computing technologies to meet this demand.

To be a profitable service provider in 2022, the majority of engineers and experts on the topic agree that fiber is the key. Plus, fiber is the most economical solution. Within a greenfield network—where there is no existing infrastructure, the most economical decision is at the premise (i.e. office, home, apartment, condo, or 5G cell tower). However, what makes the decision economical in an existing cable operation may not be rebuilding fiber to the premise. Instead, the better investment could be in the existing infrastructure or performing technology updates. These updates could be the difference between extending the network's profitability into the next decade, or only extending its life a few years.

“Add another access point!” This is the typical answer when a technician is trying to get internet from one end of an apartment to the other. With a solution approach, you should know where there are dead spots and where users aren’t getting the best coverage. By having this knowledge, you can add access points where the user will have the best experience. But, what about the performance?

Approaching a multi-dwelling unit (MDU) property owner (or manager) to update their network infrastructure can be a challenge for service providers. This scenario can be especially difficult when the MDU is not receiving any complaints from tenants and their occupancy rate is 100% at any given time. The old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” applies here. The service provider needs to motivate change. But how?

Existing network infrastructure is the #1 problem service providers face when trying to serve multi-dwellings units (MDUs). Oftentimes, MDUs are bypassed because they present an infrastructural inconvenience. Plus, it is common for the network components to be outdated. Knowing full-well an MDU will be difficult from the onset, there is a certainty that more obstacles will be encountered along the way.

Telecommunications is one of the fastest-growing industries when it applies to speed and consistency of technological evolution. Right when it seems like you have a deep understanding of the technologies of today, a new solution breaks into the market that changes everything.