Members of the FTTH Council Europe are active in every segment of the fibre to the home (FTTH) value chain. The Deployment and Operations (D&O) Committee is the place where technology experts come together to discuss, debate and educate the broader telecom ecosystem and help industry stakeholders understand how to deploy high quality full-fibre networks, addressing the large variety of challenges they face throughout Europe.

From design and planning, to optimal technology selection, roll out of operations, testing and maintenance, our key publication, the FTTH Handbook, brings together state-of-the-art information and recommendations to help every FTTH professional in the industry. Its 9th edition was unveiled on 15th September 2021 during the FTTH Virtual Conference 2021; it is already available for members of the FTTH Council Europe on a complementary basis and can be purchased by the general public here.

5G is fibre’s best friend! The D&O Committee has undertaken two valuable pieces of research to evaluate the potential benefits that are brought about through converged planning of FTTH and 5G backhaul networks.  We presented the results of these studies in a recent webinar, you can access the replay here.

More recently, the Committee has produced a white paper which details the reasons underpinning our position in favour of full-fibre compared to alternative broadband technologies. 

Insights from the Committee

 

 

Deployment & Operations Committee Update: Progress and Outlook

Jul 3, 2025
Committee News | Deployment & Operations Committee |

At the FTTH Council Europe’s 2025 Spring General Assembly, the Deployment & Operations Committee Chair shared key milestones from the past year and outlined strategic priorities for the months ahead.

2024 Highlights

The Committee continued its strong focus on knowledge development, completing several key deliverables. A notable achievement was the finalisation of the FTTH Handbook Passive Components review, providing an updated and robust reference for the industry.

Another milestone was the release of the whitepaper “A Case for End-to-End Fixed Access Solution Disaggregation”, accompanied by a well-received workshop during the FTTH Conference in Amsterdam. This event featured real-world use cases from Vodafone and Turk Telekom, offering valuable insights into practical implementation scenarios for network disaggregation.

In addition, two new workgroups were launched to deepen exploration into emerging areas:

  • Network Resilience

  • Passive Optical LAN

These groups are now active and shaping new lines of inquiry and output for the community.

2025 Work Plan

Looking ahead, the D&O Committee has already kicked off several initiatives for 2025. The focus remains on whitepaper production and initiative planning, with three new whitepaper topics currently being resourced and developed:

  • Fiber Deep – Passive Optical LAN Applications

  • Network Resilience and Maintenance

  • Efficient Network Operation and Maintenance Planning

These papers aim to provide actionable insights and technical guidance to support future-proof, high-performance networks across the FTTH ecosystem.

In parallel, the Committee is launching new initiatives to address deployment and operational challenges. Key areas under investigation include:

  • Strategies to overcome rollout challenges in ultra-rural areas (targeting the final 10% of coverage)

  • Planning for HFC to fibre transition, ensuring smooth and efficient technology evolution

These forward-looking actions reaffirm the Committee’s commitment to enabling resilient, scalable, and inclusive fibre networks across Europe.

Members interested in contributing to these projects or learning more about ongoing activities are encouraged to engage with the relevant workgroups or reach out to the D&O leadership team.

View all