RF over glass

Ericsson’s GPON competition with Alcatel-Lucent

Ericsson, which has hardly a household word in wireline infrastructure, may be gaining traction in GPON deployment in China, and we’re hearing that the company is also looking stronger in Europe. GPON deployment on a larger scale is an interesting shift because it permits delivery of broadcast TV as RF-over-glass rather than as IPTV.

An increasing number of providers are telling us that they believe that the RFoG model is better, resulting in a higher first cost but focusing that cost on the most durable and leverageable asset—fiber. Ericsson could play this card effectively against Alcatel-Lucent, which has been conflicted in its PON-versus-IPTV internal debate for more than a year.