How to optimize thedesign and implementationof fiber optic networks
Streamline engineering processes – fromplanning to maintenance – and provide anoperations-ready network modelTable of Contents
Fundamental expansion of fiber optic networks........................................................................................................... 3
Increased competition and telecommunications as critical infrastructure in Europe........................................................... 4
Fiber networks in action............................................................................................................................................... 5
The rise of 5G networks................................................................................................................................................ 6
Fiber optics for IoT and smart grids.............................................................................................................................. 7
Design it right the first time: The need for fiber network design and management..................................................... 8
A new way to optimize and grow fiber networks........................................................................................................... 9
A high-level look at HxGN NetWorks Comms................................................................................................................. 10
Critical capabilities of HxGN NetWorks Comms............................................................................................................ 11
Key benefits of HxGN NetWorks Comms....................................................................................................................... 122

Fundamental expansion offiber optic networks
The communications industry is experiencing unprecedented
technological evolution, fierce competition and demands for service
reliability, especially in Europe.
Data consumption in the 21st century has also become far more pervasive
than placing a call or sending an email. Residential consumers havegrown accustomed to having access to high-speed internet services fora large number of users in each household that support everything fromstreaming television shows and movies to playing video games.
When it comes to businesses and critical citizen services, utilities, transportationand public safety cannot function without reliable communications systems. As
such, many companies today compete for telephone, internet and entertainment
business, including the bundling of multiple services, add-on options and therapidly changing wireless environment.
This all points to fiber optic networks expanding exponentially because of thehigh demand for data services, both residential and commercial, and the new
backhaul of wireless services from cell towers.
Fiber has also evolved into a fundamental component of high-speed
broadband communications networks required for smart grid, fiber to thehome (FTTH) and intelligent information management systems. Thanks tofiber optic networks, each of these solutions links sensors, communications
and critical infrastructure through high-speed backhaul communications.

3Increased competition and telecommunications 			as critical infrastructure in Europe
According to QY Research, the European GIS telecom market size is expected to reach€380 million in 2025 – pointing to enhanced competition among vendors.
In addition, telecommunications has evolved into a core part of critical infrastructure.
In fact, the European Union Program for Critical Infrastructure Protection (EPCIP)
describes critical infrastructure as “an asset, system, or part thereof which is essential
for the maintenance of vital societal functions, health, safety, security, economic,
or social well-being of people, and the disruption or destruction of which would havea significant impact.”
To that end, the exchange of information between people, devices, sensors andmachines clearly qualifies as both essential and critical. Simply put, long-term
disruption to telecommunications services poses a threat to the safety andwelfare of citizens.

According to QY Research,
the European GIS telecom
market size is expected toreach €380 million in 2025
– pointing to enhanced
competition among vendors.

4Fiber networks in action
A wide range of telecommunications providers in Europe has seen tremendous value by optimizing andexpanding their fiber optic networks:• Proximus is a leading provider of digital services and communications in Belgium and internationally. Its
goal is to connect every home and business in Belgium to high- or very high-speed connectivity througha fiber rollout. Proximus has connected more than 620,000 homes and businesses in more than 20cities. It connects a home or business to fiber every 34 seconds.
• Virgin Media O2, one of the U.K.’s largest businesses, is working to upgrade its entire
fixed network of 15.5 million connections to full fiber to the premises (FTTP) by 2028. Thecompany will upgrade the cable element of its fiber-rich network and make use of full-fiber
technology capable of delivering symmetrical 10 Gbps download and upload speeds andbeyond. The company offers the fastest speeds at scale in the U.K.
• Valtellina SpA is one of the largest communications systems integration companies inItaly. Its customers include Telecom Italia and Infratel Italia. It is a specialist in laying fiber
optic cabling at industrial sites and revamping telephone exchange and data transmission
centers. Working at scale, Valtellina has been able to reduce network data preparationand production time from 10 days to less than an hour.

5The rise of 5G networks
In addition to providing public sector
organizations, businesses and consumers
with improved high-speed and low-latency
wireless networks, 5G is expected todramatically speed up the development of
next-generation solutions. These include
autonomous driving, augmented reality,
the digitalization of infrastructure, IoT,smart cities and much more.
To effectively bring 5G to life and reduce
implementation times and costs, network
operators require network design andmanagement software to solve a varietyof problems, including knowledge

6sharing, standardization of design
and implementation processes, fieldactivities management, control ofinfrastructure costs and permissions.
Simultaneously managing the vastscale of infrastructure, equipment,
teams and construction sites also
requires an evolution of information
systems to support 5G. Operators willneed intensive collaboration between
the field and back office and wider
availability of analytical tools for realtime activity insights.

Fiber optics for IoT and smart grids
The rise of IoT will present insurmountable data and network capacity
challenges that are too complex for traditional network connections.
Thankfully, fiber optic networks have the ability to drive the big data andnetworking requirements making IoT a reality.
From a utilities perspective, organizations with fiber optic networks canestablish a more robust smart grid by improving data interoperability
between smart devices and power providers. The power grid is also
moving toward a competitive model with more distributed generation,and fiber can provide a new source of revenue.

Organizations withfiber optic networks
can establish a morerobust smart gridby improving datainteroperability
between smart devices
and power providers.

7For example, EPB of Chattanooga, Tennessee, built one of themost highly regarded smart grids in the U.S. based on a fiber optic
communications infrastructure. This infrastructure has alsoenabled EPB to deliver state-of-the-art communications services
to homes and businesses and provide advanced communication
options such as broadband and video.

Design it right the first time:
The need for fiber network
design and management
Fiber optic networks are highly complex todevelop and need to be designed right the firsttime to minimize cost overruns and adhere to
the overall strategic principles of the provider.
This design approach can also help providers
gain more customers more efficiently, which cansupport revenue growth.
In addition, many telecommunications providers
develop network designs internally and haveexternal engineering firms managing the moredetailed designs and overall implementation.
This can be a challenging process. It is often
decentralized and users rely on tools likespreadsheets, which can lead to errors.
While digital solutions can help support betterand more centralized design and implementationprocesses, there is often also a lack of real-time
information and the necessary integrations
and connectivity.

8For example, many providers find thatconventional GIS tools lack the detail and ability
to model the relationships needed to integratewith operational systems and coordinate thenetwork’s logical and physical elements.
With this in mind, telecommunications network
operators need a network model that delivers
accurate, current information across theirorganization – while also reducing legacy
and cumbersome paperwork. They also need
integrated solutions for relevant improvements,
optimized processes and better communication.

Many providers findthat conventional GIS
tools lack the detailand ability to model therelationships needed tointegrate with operational
systems and coordinate
the network’s logicaland physical elements.

A new way to optimize and grow fiber networks
With expanded competition in the fiber network arena,
providers are challenged with being able to effectively
optimize, grow and manage their networks.
From troubleshooting to enhancing latency to expanding
the network’s footprint in buildings, highly optimized fiber
optic networks lead to higher customer satisfaction andthe ability to more easily expand networks.

Understanding the full capacity of a network – now and into
the future – is important for telecommunication providers to
be able to map out the strategic growth of their networks.
Utility companies also need to manage fiber networks for theirsmart grids and for selling fiber network access and capacity.
The industry requires powerful technology to support thesegrowing and changing infrastructure needs.

From troubleshooting to enhancing
latency to expanding the network’s
footprint in buildings, highly optimized
fiber optic networks lead to highercustomer satisfaction and the ability
to more easily expand networks.

9A high-level look at
HxGN NetWorks CommsHxGN NetWorks Comms streamlines engineering processes – from planning to maintenance– and maintains an operations-ready network model accessible across the business.
HxGN NetWorks Comms is an advanced telecommunications GIS that provides locationbased information and tools for the complete lifecycle of civil infrastructure and fiber
network management – from design and construction to maintenance and operations, bothin the back office and the field.
Whether managing assets outside or inside containers, as well as buildings and racks,
this solution facilitates key business processes, such as work order design and execution,
mapping, asset records management and maintenance records of the entire system.
Its feature-rich interface helps plan, connect and deploy fiber networks, supporting
full tracing capabilities, fault analysis and path redundancy. HxGN NetWorks Comms
can assess, manage and track the status of projects, equipment and connections andcoordinate with other systems to model the full engineering lifecycle.

10Critical capabilities of HxGN NetWorks CommsHxGN NetWorks Comms offers the widest range of critical capabilities for designing, managing, and optimizing fiber optic networks, including:

Advanced editing: Full computer-aided design capabilities
exist within the GIS environment for improving network
design and documentation while removing latency anderrors from network records. The smart editing tools use
rules to drive semi-automated placement with integral data
validation, helping operators capture high-quality data faster.
Rich telecoms model: An out-of-the-box, rich and highly
functional connected telecoms model that accommodates
the connectivity of the complete network from any
terminating device to the inside plant (ISP) termination. It
also supplies the inventory and connectivity of fiber, copperand equipment components – all within a single database.
Complete engineering lifecycle: Rich version management,
analysis, tracking and reporting capabilities for modelingand managing the complete engineering lifecycle, including
coordination with other business platforms, such asenterprise resource planning (ERP), work and asset
management system (WAMS), and field operations.

11OSS/NRM integration: HxGN NetWorks Comms operates
alongside a range of OSS/NRM platforms, including
Amdocs OSS (previously Cramer Dimension), Visionael OSS(PR) and Ericsson Granite Inventory (formerly Telcordia GraniteInventory). Integrating and coordinating Hexagon’s advanced
telecoms GIS with an OSS/NRM system streamlines processes,
enhances data quality and currency, speeds up operations andextends functional capabilities.
Enterprise scalability: Proven in production environments– ranging from tens to thousands of connected users inbusinesses from local to multinational operations. In addition
to its scalable architecture, HxGN NetWorks Comms helps
establish consistency and teamwork by applying corporate
design practices and standards through work processes andbusiness rules.

Key benefits of HxGN NetWorks Comms
From optimizing resources and return-on-investment (ROI) to improved business processes and reduced financial risk,
HxGN NetWorks Comms offers a wide range of key benefits, including:
Optimized resources: The HxGN NetWorks Comms model records asset details and relationships to support mostfunctions by filtering and rendering information in different ways, on the fly: as text, maps, schematics or diagrams.
This provides each user the right level of detail in the right way for his or her task, without maintaining duplicated data.
Better ROI: By coordinating HxGN NetWorks Comms engineering capabilities with other business systems,
operators can streamline workflows and gain valuable insights, such as comparing alternative design proposals
from technical and financial perspectives. It also reduces overall project time as teams can create and assess
alternative design scenarios, compare relative costs and benefits and determine in advance the list of materials
and tasks necessary to construct the chosen scheme.
Improved processes: Edits within HxGN NetWorks Comms are immediately available in the model andaccessible via the database. Lower data latency and universal access allow HxGN NetWorks Commsto support time-sensitive use cases, resulting in faster operations, greater efficiency and enhancedcapabilities. The solution also improves field, installation and repair processes:• Improved field processes lead to lower costs and increased productivity due to the bidirectional flow ofinformation between office and field, the elimination of paper copies and duplicate work, reduced field visits
and travel time and fewer project delays with accurate bills of materials.
• Improved installation and repair processes shorten response and intervention times. The response time
during a failure significantly improves thanks to the availability of functions that allow you to track thenetwork, locate the true source of the problem, identify and communicate with affected customers andhelp field engineers resolve the issue.
Reduced financial risk: HxGN NetWorks Comms reduces financial risk by assessing high-level costsof proposed plans. It enables planners to design and assess alternative proposals for build-out,including the siting of distribution points, service areas and deployment methods.
12About Hexagon
Hexagon is a global leader in digital reality solutions, combining sensor, software andautonomous technologies. We are putting data to work to boost efficiency, productivity,quality and safety across industrial, manufacturing, infrastructure, public sector, andmobility applications. Our technologies are shaping production and people-related
ecosystems to become increasingly connected and autonomous – ensuring a scalable,
sustainable future.
Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division improves the resilience andsustainability of the world’s critical services and infrastructure. Our solutions turncomplex data about people, places and assets into meaningful information andcapabilities for better, faster decision-making in public safety, utilities, defense,transportation and government. Learn more at hexagon.com and follow us @HexagonAB.
©2022 Hexagon AB and/or its subsidiaries and affiliates. All rights reserved. Hexagon is a registered trademark.
All other trademarks or service marks used herein are property of their respective owners. 12/22

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