FTTHFTTB

FTTHFTTB is not a formal technical standard but a shorthand used in some industry materials to describe deployment strategies that combine fiber to the home (FTTH) and fiber to the building (FTTB) within the same network footprint. The term suggests flexibility in how fiber access is delivered to end users, depending on the characteristics of a building or housing development.

Overview

- FTTH delivers a direct fiber connection from the service provider to individual residences, enabling high bandwidths and straightforward service upgrades.

- FTTB brings fiber to the building’s distribution point (typically the basement or a technical area), with the final link to each unit using existing in-building cabling (copper or internal fiber). This can reduce outside plant costs in multi-dwelling buildings.

Technologies and topologies

- In FTTH portions, common access technologies include GPON, XG-PON, or NG-PON2, with nominal downstream capacities ranging from around 2.5 Gbps for GPON to 10 Gbps for newer standards, and varying upstream capacities.

- In FTTB portions, fiber terminates at the building, and in-building connections may use Ethernet (Cat5e/6/6A), VDSL, G.fast, or newer in-building fiber distributions.

- Hybrid approaches allow operators to offer FTTH where feasible (new builds, single-family homes) and FTTB where cost or building constraints apply, while maintaining fiber-based backhaul.

Deployment considerations

- Cost and density: FTTH is often more expensive per unit in dense urban areas but provides longer-term scalability; FTTB can reduce civil works and internal cabling costs for older or high-rise buildings.

- Building access and coordination: FTTB requires cooperation with building management and residents for internal wiring.

- Future-proofing: Hybrid deployments aim to balance current demand with anticipated growth, enabling upgrades within existing infrastructure.

Impact and use

- FTTHFTTB-oriented deployments typically offer high broadband potential, with scalable bandwidth, lower latency, and improved symmetrical upload/download performance compared with traditional copper solutions, while allowing cost-efficient coverage of mixed-building environments.