Project
As digital technology advances and the number of connected devices continues to skyrocket, cities need to invest in better data networks to keep up. In 2017, the Greek government and the European Union created a program that would eventually roll out a state-of-the-art fiber optic network to 4 million people in the greater Athens area. Vodafone Greece, the contractor selected to develop the network, needed to connect the first 250,000 customers within five years. This large-scale installation could not rely on traditional design methods, as Greece and the EU set tight deadlines to ensure the citizens of Athens would not fall behind the rest of the world.
Solution
To meet critical data flow needs for the project, Vodafone implemented a process that would automate network planning, including detailed engineering and circuit provisioning. An automated fiber planning and design algorithm now generates a bill of materials and global network design for each FttH area within an hour. Incorporating demand points such as residences, businesses, and street center lines, the optical fiber network could be automatically designed based on specific cost criteria.
Outcome
Using the automated design, Vodafone constructed the new fiber network in Vyronas and Piraeus, which consists of eight clusters and 40,000 homes, at a cost of EUR 5 million. By automatically placing components where needed, Vodafone was able to meet the tight deadline. The integrated solution increased productivity, improved data quality, and reduced the overall time to service for new customers by at least 50 percent per project.
Software
OpenComms Designer provided the environment for the automated network design. When specifications are uploaded to the cloud, automated engineering tools create an intelligent connected network. Splicing, splitting, and naming conventions are all created automatically to ensure consistency. Once detailed work/construction packages are produced, as-built equipment is automatically updated via Bentley Connection Services. These connection web services provide network provisioning and address management information to Vodafone business systems for automating data flow through.
Project Playbook: MicroStation, OpenComms Designer, OpenCities Map