Internet GPON: reviews, rates, connection

Many Russian users surf the Internet, taking advantage of one of the latest communication technologies - GPON. The infrastructure built on the basis of this standard is actively used by leading Russian and world telecommunications companies. What are the features of this technology? What are its advantages over competitive solutions?

Key facts about the technology

What is GPON technology, the connection to which is gaining mass character in many large cities of Russia? This communication channel is a passive type of fiber-optic network capable of providing Internet access at a very high speed - hundreds of megabits per second. 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 in terms of providing access to the Internet, GPON is the most promising technology.

The fact is that unlike many other communication technologies, digital data using GPON technology is transmitted not through a metal conductor, but through a light channel. This is usually a microscopic fraction of a second faster. But on the scale of a large city or region, the difference in the speed of data exchange can be very noticeable. Also, the transmission of the light pulse, as a rule, requires less energy consumption than the signal transfer through the metal wire. This, according to many experts, is due to a number of factors that predetermine the economic effectiveness of GPON technology.

The maximum length of 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 expansion 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? All, 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 you take the billing by the regions of the middle band, then you can focus on approximately such values.

Megabytes cheap

For access to the Internet at a speed of about 10-12 megabits per second, the provider will ask about 300-400 rubles a month. If the user needs a larger resource, for example, 20-25 megabits, it will cost about 500-700 rubles. Regularity in determining the "formula" of the tariff is roughly the following: the more expensive a monthly subscription, the less the cost of an individual "megabit".

Many providers provide their subscribers with free use of the necessary equipment. Moreover, in many cases the provider of access services is ready to send home to the client to configure the master devices, which also will not take anything. That is, payment for a tariff is actually all costs that are borne by the subscriber. At least in this format, a service is provided on the basis of GPON from MGTS (reviews of many subscribers contain unequivocally positive estimates regarding this option) - one of the largest and most actively developing in the aspect of mastering the new technology of Russian providers.

Comparison with ADSL

Before the GPON technology became actively disseminated for the organization of Internet access, the standard 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 in comparison with GPON are that the Internet connection can be organized on the basis of an existing telephone line.

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

Economical variant

However, in comparison with the rates for GPON, Internet tariffs via ADSL are generally lower. And this is more profitable for many users, since they are sufficient for most of their tasks to perform the speeds that are available with older technology, namely 3-5 megabits per second. This indicator, in particular, allows you to comfortably download any web page, watch video, listen to music, chat on Skype. Setting up a GPON connection, on the one hand, can be somewhat more complicated than the corresponding actions 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 considered by experts? Some experts, for example, believe that the declared speed of 300 or more megabits per second for natural persons can not be reached in most cases. Simply because the bulk of modems, adapted to the use of fiber at home (and almost all - of those that are provided by providers for free), it is technologically impossible to transfer data via Wi-Fi at a speed above 70-80 megabit. While many Moscow users are advised to use the connection only in a wireless format. Although in some applications of 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 of the current operate at 2.4 GHz.

The economic factor

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

Competitive solutions

What alternatives of the MGTS GPON technology can be used? Among those experts note the standard DOCSIS, actively used by another Moscow provider - Akado. This technology implies the "hybrid" use of fiber-optic channels - in terms of the organization of communication between the provider's servers and subscribers' homes, as well as television cables laid in many metropolitan apartments - as user sites of the appropriate scheme for providing Internet access. The main advantage of this technology over GPON (reviews of many users of "Akado" emphasize this aspect) - there is no need for noisy installation works 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

Another advantage of DOCSIS over GPON (IT experts' reviews confirm this) - the TV cable is much better protected from possible damage. It often happens, for example, that homeowners accidentally step on the optical fiber, put furniture, the wire from this quickly goes out of order. Often this is not a "warranty case" - the master from the provider, of course, will come, but this time is not free. In addition, the coaxial TV cable can be easily configured on its own, based on the convenience of its placement in the apartment. For example, if two of its segments are formed, they can be joined together by the simplest coupling. With fiber in this sense, as a rule, more difficult.

New confrontation of giants

Another solution that could be a competitor to GPON from MGTS (reviews of many experts, at least, contain positive assessments regarding its prospects) is FTTB technology. It involves "VimpelCom" - the structure that owns the Beeline brand.

By the way, we can note an interesting fact: MGTS is a subsidiary of another Russian mobile operator, MTS. GPON, competing with FTTB, to some extent continues to confront MTS and Beeline in traditional markets for themselves. The access speed when using the technology in question is of the order of 100 megabits. At the same time, as some experts note, technically there is an opportunity to increase the figure to 1 gigabit.

It should also be noted that MGTS is by no means the only Russian communications service provider that uses advanced fiber optic technology. Actively connects its subscribers to the Internet on the basis of GPON "Rostelecom", many regional providers.

GPON and the Russian communications market

Consider the marketing aspects of implementing GPON in Russia. As we have already noted, one of the leading providers in Russia providing Internet access is the Moscow City Telephone Network. GPON from MGTS (reviews about this service in large numbers are found on thematic portals) - a service in which Muscovites can access online at a speed of about 300-500 megabits / second. The technical ability to connect to the network with the help of new technology is available to more than 3 million subscribers of the Russian capital. At the same time, the demand for the service is reinforced not so much by the need for high speed as such, as some experts note, but because users from the Russian Federation are accustomed to using several devices - a PC, a tablet, a smartphone. High demand is also for Internet television. Therefore, in aggregate, Moscow users need a decent access speed, so that the channel's resources are sufficient for each of the devices used.

Plans are ambitious

MGTS, a subsidiary of MTS, GPON-network in terms of maximum geography of the presence in the capital is going to deploy by 2017. There are data that the relevant period may be adjusted - the company will perform the tasks faster, in 2015. As expected in MGTS, the campaign, connected with the transfer of the infrastructure of Internet access to GPON-technology, will pay for itself within 7 years.

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

Is GPON more promising?

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

GPON in the world market

As the technology of access to the Internet by GPON (reviews of many experts confirm this) in Russia is spread somewhat less pronouncedly than, for example, in Western countries. Although in recent years, providers operating in the Russian Federation, as many analysts believe, have taken several serious steps forward, overcoming the possible backlog from their foreign colleagues in mastering the new technology. At the same time, it can be noted that standards such as DSL are still among the most actively involved in the world. At the same time, the global growth of GPON-connections in the last few years is about 20% annually.

Many experts are sure that even in the most technologically advanced countries there is no common opinion as to which of the broadband technologies is most effective. In many countries in Asia and the Middle East, GPON technology is being introduced very actively - in a number of countries it occupies more than half of the market in the corresponding segment of communications. In Europe, one of the leading in the aspect of implementing GPON-standards is recognized by Sweden. 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.