WRITTEN QUESTION E-0453/98

by Roberta Angelilli (NI) to the Commission

(27 February 1998)

Subject: Telecom Italia and Rome municipality on fibre optics

Over a year ago, Rome Municipality, in cooperation with Telecom Italia, launched a campaign, which is still in progress, to publicise the ROMA NEXUS project (as part of the Socrates plan) for the establishment of a fibre optics public communication network. This project is proving extremely costly: the work completed so far has involved the digging of trenches over a distance of 1 000 km, causing considerable inconvenience to the general public. In May 1997, however, Telecom Italia announced as part of its industrial plan that, on the basis of the experience acquired at international level, it felt it necessary to replace the optical fibres with ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line) technology. The latter makes it possible for the communication network's cabling system to be based on the "twisted wire pair" network already used for telephony instead of installing glass fibres which, among other things, require lengthy and costly digging operations, causing massive disruption to the city's streets. In January 1998, Telecom Italia therefore announced that, in the case of Rome, only one quarter of the digging operations planned for the installation of glass fibres would be carried out, given that from 1999 onwards telematics services would be installed solely on the basis of the ADSL system.

1. On the basis of European experience, since when has ADSL technology left the experimental stage and become competitive with and preferable to fibre optics networks?

2. In which countries of the Union has ADSL technology been applied and replaced programmes for the installation of fibre optic cables?

3. Has the Union laid down Community standards for the application of ADSL technology?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(8 April 1998)

In the information society high-speed lines are required to deliver advanced multi-media services to the end user. New services like high speed Internet access and video on demand will require speeds of around 2 megabits per second (Mbit/s) to achieve satisfactory performance. A variety of technologies has been or is being developed for this purpose. The Honourable Member makes reference to two technologies, which are expected to contribute substantially to the development of the information society.

1. Asynchronous digital subscriber line (ADSL) technology has been developed since the end of the 1980's by US industry. It was discovered that one did not need new fibre optics for delivering medium to high-speed data to the end-user and that the usage of existing copper wire infrastructure could be optimised. It is typically a technology which is used over short distances (up to a few kilometres). Its performance over typical telephone line services in urban areas is at least 16 times higher than integrated digital network (ISDN) lines and enables the delivery of 2 Mbit/s (a speed required for video on demand) without the need for additional investments in wiring. When used over longer distances its performance deteriorates.

Fibre optics use light transmitted through glass or other fibres. This technology is capable of carrying extremely high-speed data over long distances. Although it can perfectly be used to deliver high-speed data to the end user it requires the installation of new lines. This is both costly and causes inconvenience to the public, notably in urban areas. Domestic users do not require the speed, which it supports, at least not at present.

2. At least 80 % of the value of telecommunication infrastructures is in the wiring. For this reason network operators seek to maximise the usage of existing infrastructure and only install new cabling when absolutely required. In this context the approach of Telecom Italia follows a global trend in which fibre optics are used for high speed long distance infrastructure links, and ADSL is an emerging technology of the last kilometre from the infrastructure to the end-user. In the Community, several operators are carrying out experiments with ADSL technology or have committed to investment in it.

3. ADSL is a de facto standard on which the European telecommunications standards institute has developed reports and recommendations. The Community has not laid down any standards as such for ADSL.