InCoax technology empowers consumers to switch broadband provider more easily following FCC ruling

Operators now have access to existing in-building networks to bring MultiGigabit speeds at affordable prices to tenants in apartments and office buildings

Lund, Sweden, 21 February 2022 – Broadband operators must now seize the opportunity to access existing in-building coaxial network infrastructure, to achieve quicker and less labor-intensive installations for MultiGigabit speed connectivity in multi-tenant environments, following a US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling.

The FCC recently adopted rules that gives tenants in apartments and office buildings more transparency, competition and choice for broadband services. By leveraging InCoax Networks’ fibre access extension technology, it opens the market up for operators that can utilize this cost-effective option that offers decreased complexity. Large brownfield multi-tenant environments already have existing coaxial networks, and operators now have an alternative to installing expensive and labor-intensive fiber to the building.

“The FCC’s ruling will help open up the choice of broadband providers to empower millions of US tenants in their multi-tenant environments and lessen the barriers of broadband competition,” InCoax Head of Marketing, Sales and Product Management Helge Tiainen said. “By reusing existing in-building infrastructure for broadband access, it can address the complexities that operators face when looking to bring connectivity to existing apartments and office buildings.”

With the FCC looking to improve broadband competition, its Order and Declaration Ruling prohibits providers from entering into certain revenue sharing agreements with building owners and enables competing operators to provide Gigabit and MultiGigabit services at affordable pricing. This will help increase competition to the third of the US population living in apartments, mobile home parks, condominiums and public housing.

InCoax has MoCA Access nodes installed in numerous buildings in 10 metropolitan areas providing symmetrical Gigabit services today and moving towards Multigigabit services during 2022 for people living and working in multi-tenant environments. Typically, multi-tenant environments have a home-run coaxial network reachable from the entry point of the multi-tenant environment located in a basement, wall cabinet or pedestal close to the building. These cables are used by cable-TV operators but can also be used by competing operators in co-existence, by deploying MoCA Access nodes at the entry point. Many do however choose to place both TV content and broadband services on the broadband access.

Late last year, the FCC investigated whether certain types of broadband agreements between building owners and providers could hamper competition. This included revenue sharing arrangements, exclusive wiring and marketing agreements between building owners and providers. Contracts of this kind can lock out other broadband competitors, reduce choice for tenants and potentially lead to increased prices.

This also follows President Joe Biden’s executive order last summer tasking the FCC to take a more combative approach to deals between building owners and providers that leave tenants with no or limited alternative options. Empowering the tenants to make their own choice and enabling free competition should make the tenants the big winners in the long run.

Learn more about InCoax and its MultiGigabit solutions here: https://www.incoax.com/

-ENDS-

Your InCoax questions answered

• Tell us more about InCoax and what its specialism is?
  InCoax Networks AB specializes in the innovation of reusing existing in-building infrastructure for broadband access Providing the next-generation Multi-Gigabit networking solutions to the world’s leading telecom and broadband service operators, InCoax delivers the latest, most advanced and cost-effective technology available to reach Multi-Gigabit connectivity, where fiber is either too expensive, labor-intensive or even impossible to install.

  Leading products include the InCoax Controllers/DPUs, such as the new InCoax D2501, and access modems, which provide reliable, cost-effective Gigabit or Multi-Gigabit broadband speeds over existing coaxial networks.

  To quickly learn more on Fiber Access Extension, check out this animation (incoax.com/fiber-extension/)

• What is InCoax aiming to bring to the world’s leading telecom and broadband service providers?
  Competition in the broadband market is fueling the need for fiber to be pushed deeper into the network and closer to the end-user. Customer demand for fast broadband and operator’s challenge to cost-effectively provide the services with an FTTH strategy only, has sparked an interest in solutions that enable easier in-building access. Deploying InCoax’s D2501 technology is a sustainable way for operators to upgrade their existing networks, with high-speed Internet services available at the home entertainment hub in the apartment.

  InCoax’s technology helps operators facilitate fast, cost-effective, and non-intrusive installations.

• Can you outline your leading products and solutions, and what their importance to the industry is?
  InCoax D2501 DPU (Distribution Point Unit) extends the Northbound backbone GPON, XG-PON, XGS-PON or Active Ethernet fiber network. D2501 is a Broadband Forum TR-301/TR-419 based DPU for 8, 16 or 31 modems making it the versatile choice for your next MDU deployment. The reliable and ingress safe InCoax technology, communicates using the well-established MoCA standard present in millions of applications worldwide. It can co-exist with DOCSIS, Terrestrial-, Cable- and Satellite-TV, enabling flexible deployments that lower market entry thresholds. The broadband connection point (antenna outlet) is located at the heart of the apartment (unit) for easy Smart TV and IP-TV services access, rendering additional internal wiring unnecessary. The system offers symmetrical broadband services with low latency, a fiber-like experience that outperforms any legacy technology such as G.fast to match the increasing market demand for seamless streaming, gaming and working from home.

  On a larger scale it helps to achieve national aggressive Internet connectivity and Multi-Gigabit speed targets.

• What markets are the most valuable to InCoax?
  Looking at existing technology infrastructure, geography, market conditions and maturity, we are primarily focusing on selected national markets in Western Europe and North America.