Huber+Suhner's self-install system speeds FTTH roll out in Marburg

Optical connectivity specialist Huber+Suhner is helping the German city of Marburg to roll out high-speed broadband services with the new Home Fibering System (HOFIS) that enables the town’s residents to self-install the in-home section of their fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network. The vendor says its new product can dramatically speed up FTTH and service deployment.

The public utility provider Stadtwerke Marburg in the picturesque German university town of Marburg is currently installing fiber-optic cables throughout the city and Huber+Suhner has been chosen to provide a self-install, plug-and-play package that enables rapid deployment within homes and apartments.

Provided free-of-charge to residents by the utility company, HOFIS is a self-installation system for houses and apartments and can be deployed as soon as buildings are connected to the town’s fiber-optic network. Homeowners and tenants are sent their free HOFIS pack and can complete their home installation when they wish, deciding themselves where they want the junction box mounted and how they want the fiber-optic cable laid from the initial home entry point.

Stefan Koch, project manager at Stadtwerke Marburg, said, "Self-installation really works. Everyone benefits from our collaboration with Huber+Suhner. We as the local authority do not have to arrange appointments, only to find ourselves in front of locked doors. We don’t have to move furniture or hold long and difficult conversations about the siting of the boxes.”

HOFIS combines the Huber+Suhner optical socket (OTS2) with prefabricated low-bend-installation fiber-optic cables (class G.657 A2). The dust-proof packaging made of recyclable PET plastic not only protects the system during transportation, but also provides a fast and effective method for unrolling the cable and attaching the socket on-site, the company says. Huber+Suhner adds that the plug-and-play system eliminates the need for splicing in the home – a time consuming operation that usually requires a visit from a trained engineer. HOFIS is available with a variety of cable lengths and fiber counts and comes with typical in-home fiber-optic connectors such as BLINK, LC, or SC.

For more information on FTTx/access systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.