Swisscom plans to switch off copper network: network gaps are foreseeable
Swisscom plans to achieve fibre optic coverage of up to 80 per cent by 2030. At the same time, the copper network is to be gradually switched off. But what will be used to fill the network gaps?
By December 2025, 57 per cent of all Swiss households should be equipped with "fibre to the home". Five years later, between 75 and 80 per cent - or around 4.1 million households - will have fibre to the home. Swisscom is investing according to the information on its website 1.7 billion francs a year for this. But that is not the end of the story: As Inside IT has learnt, the expansion is set to continue afterwards.
Copper technology "susceptible to disruption and not sustainable"
However, in return for the fibre optic expansion, the existing copper network is to be gradually switched off. The telco made it clear to Inside IT: "From an economic point of view, it makes no sense to maintain the copper network under these circumstances."
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Sustainability also suffers: it is said that around 100 gigawatt hours can be saved - this is roughly the same amount of electricity as a village of 20,000 inhabitants consumes per year. In addition, copper is more susceptible to interference and maintenance by manufacturers will soon be discontinued.
Fibre optic coverage will not be enough
It is already clear that fibre optics cannot be installed everywhere where there are copper lines today. Swisscom also admits this to Inside IT. It is not yet clear how many companies and private households this will affect. Swisscom is assuming a "very small number of customers".
A follow-up solution using mobile and satellite technology is planned for these customers. Concepts are already being developed for this, based on experience already gained. For example, with the Internet Booster 5G product for private customers or fixed wireless access via 5G for business customers. However, Swisscom has not yet set exact dates for the gradual shutdown of the copper network.
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I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.