In a webinar presented yesterday, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) demonstrated that fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks have a lower carbon footprint than hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) networks across all sustainability metrics, including embodied carbon, operational carbon, and customer premise equipment.
The webinar — based on a whitepaper titled “Fiber Broadband Networks are Far More Sustainable Than Hybrid Fiber Coax Networks” — described how the FBA’s Sustainability Working Group analyzed carbon footprints of FTTH in contrast with HFC data over cable system interface specification (DOCSIS) 4.0 networks.
The study’s methodology relied on a globally recognized standard for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions, the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol.
By applying the GHG Protocol’s calculation methods alongside a lifecycle assessment methodology — which evaluates lifecycle stages from raw material extraction and manufacturing, to network installation and operation, to end-of-life — the study compared the carbon footprints of fiber and cable networks serving an equal number of households.
The FBA called the findings “unequivocal.” They showed that:
- The carbon footprint associated with the manufacturing of network infrastructure components and systems is 60% less in fiber networks compared with HFC.
- The carbon footprint associated with network infrastructure deployment and buildout is 7% less in fiber networks compared with HFC.
- The carbon footprint associated with network operational use (electricity) is up to 96% less in FTTH networks compared with HFC. Specifically, FTTH XGS-PON OLT network technology measured 0.42 – 0.83 annual kg CO2e per home passed, compared with 11.38 – 11.53 annual kg CO2e per home in an HFC network.
- There are better opportunities to reduce carbon footprint associated with network infrastructure and equipment removal and recycling when existing legacy networks are overbuilt with fiber. When replacing copper or coaxial networks with fiber, the legacy cabling and equipment can be recovered and recycled.
The study found that overbuilding an HFC plant with fiber initially increases the carbon footprint, but — after customer conversion to fiber — the reduction in operational carbon achieves a break-even point in six years. With fiber’s scalable bandwidth, transitioning from HFC to fiber is a more sustainable long-term solution.
“There are many reasons that service providers are choosing fiber broadband networks. Fiber offers the best performance, reliability, longevity, and sustainability as this paper proves today,” said Mike Emmendorfer, FBA Sustainability Working Group Chair and Calix Vice President of Technology.
“Our research confirms that fiber networks offer significant carbon footprint advantages over HFC networks, from manufacturing of the components, through installation and operation of the network. Service providers that choose fiber will wisely invest in a valuable, sustainable solution that will improve the communities they connect for decades,” Emmendorfer said.
The sustainability whitepaper was originally unveiled at FBA’s Fiber Connect 2024 meeting.
