Internet GPON: reviews, tariffs, connection

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Many Russian users go online using one of the latest communication technologies - GPON. The infrastructure built on the basis of this standard is actively used by leading Russian and global telecommunications companies. What are the features of this technology? What are its advantages over competitive solutions?

Key facts about technology

What is GPON technology, the connection to which is becoming widespread in many large cities of Russia? This communication channel is a passive fiber optic network capable of providing Internet access at a very high speed - hundreds of megabits / sec. At the same time, this technology allows the provider to provide a subscriber with a large number of related services - IP telephony, digital television, etc. Many experts believe that GPON is the most promising technology in terms of providing Internet access.

The fact is that, unlike many other communication technologies, digital data when using GPON technology is transmitted not through a metal conductor, but through a light channel. This is typically microscopic fractions of a second faster. But on the scale of a large city orregion, the difference in the speed of data exchange can be quite noticeable. Also, the transmission of a light pulse, as a rule, requires less energy than the transmission of a signal through a metal wire. This, according to many experts, is due to a number of factors that determine the economic efficiency of GPON technology.

The maximum length of a fiber optic cable within which a stable signal can be transmitted is 20 km, technologies are being developed that can increase this figure to 60 km. The global spread of GPON technology began in the mid-90s, facilitated by the consolidated efforts of several of the world's leading telecommunications companies.

Billing

What are the tariffs offered by modern Russian providers using GPON? Everything, of course, depends on the specific region of the Russian Federation and the city. As a rule, in the European part of Russia, the Internet is much cheaper, regardless of the communication technology used, than in the Far East. But if we take the billing for the regions of the Middle Band, then we can focus on approximately the following values.

Megabits cheap

For Internet access at a speed of about 10-12 megabits / sec, the provider will ask for about 300-400 rubles per month. If the user needs a larger resource, for example, 20-25 megabits, it will cost about 500-700 rubles. The pattern in determining the "formula" of the tariff is approximately the following - the more expensive the monthly subscription fee, the less the cost of a single"megabit".

Many providers provide their subscribers with the necessary equipment for free use. Moreover, in many cases, the access service provider is ready to send a wizard home to the client to configure the devices, who will also take nothing. That is, payment for the tariff is actually all the costs that are borne by the subscriber. At least in this format, a service based on GPON from MGTS is provided (reviews from many subscribers contain unambiguously positive assessments regarding this option) - one of the largest and most actively developing providers in Russia in terms of mastering new technology.

Comparison with ADSL

Before the GPON technology began to actively spread for organizing Internet access, the typical communication standard used by Russian providers was ADSL access. In principle, even now in many cities it is considered the main one. Even in the Russian capital, many subscribers are connected through it. The main advantages of ADSL compared to GPON are that Internet access can be organized on the basis of an existing telephone line.

No additional installation work is usually required. In turn, ADSL, as a rule, loses significantly to the new technology in terms of speed. If Internet access at 20-25 megabits per second for GPON is rather the norm, in the case of using ADSL it is in most cases an exception.

Economy option

However, in comparison with indicatorsfor GPON, rates for Internet via ADSL are usually lower. And this is more profitable for many users, since the speeds that are available using older technology, namely 3-5 megabits per second, are enough for them to perform most of their tasks. This indicator, in particular, allows you to comfortably download any web pages, watch videos, listen to music, chat via Skype. Setting up a GPON connection, on the one hand, can be somewhat more complicated than the corresponding steps when working with an ADSL channel. This may apply to both software and hardware. However, as we have already said, in many cases the provider provides its subscribers with the corresponding services for free.

Disadvantages of GPON

What are the shortcomings of the technology under consideration experts point out? Some experts, for example, believe that the declared speed of 300 or more megabits per second for individuals cannot be achieved in most cases. Simply because the bulk of modems adapted for the use of fiber at home (and almost all of those provided by providers for free), purely technologically, cannot transmit data via Wi-Fi at speeds higher than 70-80 megabits. While it is advisable for many Moscow users to use the connection only in a wireless format. Although, in some statements by representatives of MGTS, GPON access for metropolitan subscribers will be provided through more modern Wi-Fi modems, in particular those that operate at a frequency of 5 GHz. While most currentoperate on 2.4 GHz.

Economic factor

Among the shortcomings of an economic nature noted by experts that are inherent in networks based on GPON (reviews of many financial analysts confirm this), despite the low energy costs for signal transmission, the equipment necessary for organizing a full-fledged infrastructure is expensive and pays off rather slowly. Therefore, according to experts, it is advisable to introduce such technologies when the provider is sure that a sufficiently large number of clients will be able to connect to GPON. At the same time, according to a number of analysts, providers that have invested in the modernization of the communication infrastructure in a timely manner, in particular in favor of switching to GPON, can subsequently reduce the operating costs associated with maintaining the functionality of networks by several times.

Competitive Solutions

What alternatives can there be to the GPON technology used by MGTS? Among those, experts note the DOCSIS standard, which is actively used by another Moscow provider, Akado. This technology involves the "hybrid" use of fiber optic channels - in terms of organizing communication between the provider's servers and subscribers' homes, as well as television cables laid in many metropolitan apartments - as user sections of the corresponding scheme for providing Internet access. The main advantage of this technology over GPON (reviews of many Akado users focus on this aspect) is that there is no need for noisyinstallation work in the apartment.

Typical access speed provided to metropolitan subscribers today is about 110 megabits, but technically this figure can be increased to 400, as many experts note.

Cable or fiber optics

Another advantage of DOCSIS over GPON (reviews from IT specialists confirm this) is that the TV cable is much better protected from possible damage. It often happens, for example, that homeowners accidentally step on fiber optics, put furniture, the wire from this quickly fails. Often this is not a "warranty case" - the master from the provider, of course, will come, but this time not for free. In addition, a coaxial TV cable can be quite easily configured on its own, based on the convenience of its placement in the apartment. For example, if two segments of it have formed, they can be connected to each other with a simple coupling. With fiber in this sense, as a rule, it is more difficult.

New Giant Confrontation

Another solution that can compete with GPON from MGTS (reviews of many experts at least contain positive assessments regarding its prospects) is FTTB technology. It is being used by VimpelCom, the entity that owns the Beeline brand.

By the way, an interesting fact can be noted: MGTS is a subsidiary of another Russian mobile operator, MTS. GPON, competing with FTTB, to some extent continues the confrontation between MTS and Beeline on their traditionalmarkets. The access speed when using the considered technology is about 100 megabits. At the same time, as some experts note, it is technically possible to increase the figure to 1 gigabit.

We also note that MGTS is far from being the only Russian communication service provider using promising fiber-optic technology. Actively connects its subscribers to the Internet based on GPON Rostelecom, many regional providers.

GPON and the Russian communications market

Let's consider what are the marketing aspects of GPON implementation in Russia. As we noted above, one of the leading providers in the Russian Federation providing Internet access can be considered the Moscow City Telephone Network. GPON from MGTS (reviews about this service are found in large numbers on thematic portals) is a service within which Muscovites can get online access at a speed of about 300-500 megabits / sec. More than 3 million subscribers of the Russian capital have the technical ability to connect to the network using the new technology. At the same time, the demand for the service is supported not so much by the need for high speed as such, as some experts note, but by the fact that users from the Russian Federation are used to using several devices at once to access the Internet - PC, tablet, smartphone. The demand for Internet TV is also high. Therefore, in aggregate, Moscow users need a decent access speed so that there are enough channel resources for each of the devices used.

Ambitious plans

MGTS, a subsidiary of MTS, GPON networks inaspect of the maximum geography of presence in the capital is going to deploy by 2017. There is evidence that the corresponding period may be adjusted - the company will complete the tasks faster in 2015. According to MGTS, the campaign associated with the transfer of Internet access infrastructure to GPON technology will pay for itself within 7 years.

GPON technology (reviews of many IT experts are very positive in this aspect) can become an effective base for the deployment of other communication standards. Such as, for example, 4G Internet in the LTE standard. Both technological and economic aspects can play a role here. There is evidence that the GPON infrastructure from MGTS (reviews of many market analysts confirm this) is going to be used by MTS, which is actively implementing 4G standards. In the statements of representatives of this brand, voiced in some media, there is a thesis that MTS will become the only metropolitan operator that will build a 4G network entirely based on fiber optic channels.

GPON more promising?

According to some analysts, companies that use GPON technology - Rostelecom, MGTS and other providers - get at their disposal a resource that still has a slightly greater development potential than when using most competing communication standards. This is largely due to the fact that the level of competition in the GPON segment is still slightly lower than, for example, among providers using the FTTB concept.

GPON in the global market

How technology accessesInternet GPON (reviews of many experts confirm this) is somewhat less common in Russia than, for example, in Western countries. Although in recent years, providers operating in the Russian Federation, as many analysts believe, have made several serious steps forward, overcoming a possible lag behind their foreign counterparts in the development of new technology. At the same time, it can be noted that DSL standards are still among the most actively used in the world. At the same time, the global growth of GPON connections over the past few years has been about 20% annually.

Many experts are sure that even in the most technologically advanced countries there is no consensus on which broadband technology is the most effective. In many countries of Asia and the Middle East, GPON technology is being introduced very actively - in a number of states it occupies more than half of the market in the corresponding communication segment. In Europe, Sweden is recognized as one of the leaders in terms of the implementation of GPON standards. At the same time, according to a number of analysts, the Russian market is quite capable of achieving comparable indicators, reflecting the level of implementation of the new technology.