FibertotheCurb

Fibertothecurb is a broadband network architecture in which optical fiber runs from the service provider’s central office to a curbside cabinet near a neighborhood, and the final segment from the cabinet to individual premises uses existing copper or coaxial cables. It is a variant of fiber to the curb, often described in markets as fiber to the curb (FTTC).

In this model, the fiber backhaul provides high-capacity transport to the curb cabinet, where an electronic line card or DSL access multiplexer serves multiple subscribers over the copper or coax last mile. Technologies used in the last mile include VDSL2, vectoring, and G.fast, and in some deployments coaxial paths may be used in hybrid fiber-coax networks. Performance is constrained by copper length and quality, but typical consumer speeds range from tens to a few hundred megabits per second, with potential near-gigabit rates on very short copper spans or with advanced DSL variants.

Advantages of fibertothecurb include lower capital expenditure and faster deployment than fiber to the home (FTTH), since existing copper or coax can be shared and fiber can be extended incrementally. It can provide relatively high speeds in areas where full FTTH is not immediately feasible and can support scalable upgrades at the curb.

Disadvantages include dependence on copper's condition and distance, leading to variable performance and a less future-proof topology compared with FTTH. The curbside cabinet requires space, power, and maintenance, and is a potential point of failure. Upgrading to full FTTH may be pursued later as demand grows.

See also: FTTC, FTTH, FTTN, FTTB.