Connected Britain 2023: A round-up
Prysmian once again attended Connected Britain – the UK’s most important connectivity event. Here’s a round-up of our highlights and key takeaways from the two-day extravaganza.
Every year, Connected Britain brings together the biggest industry experts in the field of connectivity. Prysmian was one of the 5000-plus leaders in attendance at London ExCel exploring the most important topics surrounding UK telecoms and connectivity, such as developing technologies, regulations, and the investment environment for the roll-out of next-generation networks in Britain.
Philippe Vanhille, at the panel discussion Changing Investment Landscape for the Fibre Market.
Investment in fibre and the deployment of full fibre were two hot topics at Connected Britain. Among the highlights were Philippe Vanhille, Executive Vice President Telecom at Prysmian Group, who took part in a riveting panel discussion, that explored the changing investment landscape in the fibre optic market, and Carlos Lopez, Telecom Business Director at Prysmian UK, who took to the stage to discuss his topic Supporting Full Fibre Deployment in the UK.
Carlos Lopez, on stage for his dedicated speaker slot.
Here are just some of the few key takeaways from the event:
Quality
Although there was little talk of sustainability, it’s important to consider the quality of products. It is essential when it comes to fibre optics and fibre optic networks. Suppose a network operator really wants to be environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. In that case, the most effective thing they can do is to avoid having to replace its fibre optic cable network too soon.
Consolidation
It was predicted that 2023 would be the year for the consolidation of altnets. Over the past 12 months, increasing interest rates and higher inflation, coupled with rising raw material costs and wages have tested the business and funding plans of some altnets. Although consolidation has been slow, signs have begun to emerge starting with VMO2’s nexfibre acquiescing of altnet Upp.
Congestion
Demands for global IP traffic is leading to a dramatic increase in optical cable installations. This in turn is leading to congestion in the carrier duct infrastructure. To tackle this issue, smaller cables with higher fibre counts is needed. Ribbon cable is gaining popularity because of its flexibility compared to flat cables. It can be rolled up spliced as a ribbon and blown into the carrier duct, maximising space in the duct and minimising installation time.
If you’d like to know more about how Prysmian is advancing connectivity, visit: https://uk-stage.prysmian.com/markets/telecoms/telecom-connectivity.