Kenya's Safaricom Taps Huawei to Deploy FTTH Network

Huawei is working with Kenya's Safaricom to deploy a fiber to the home (FTTH) network. Safaricom adopts Huawei's end-to-end (E2E) FTTH solution to rapidly deploy the FTTH network and expand its capability to new home broadband services.

Kenya has a steadily developing economy, but its fixed broadband penetration rate is lower than 1%, failing to meet the network requirements of home and enterprise users. Safaricom plans to enter the home broadband market.

However, it faces many challenges, including scattered user distribution, high network construction costs, and low early phase service provisioning rates and revenues.

For precise investment, based on the idea of value-oriented network construction, Safaricom uses analytics to determine network rollout in line with customer demand as its first step. And then, Safaricom deploys Huawei's E2E FTTH solution to achieve efficient network construction and operation.

For fast network construction, through infrastructure synergy and engineering innovation, Safaricom can fully utilize existing metropolitan area network (MAN) optical cables and preferentially use aerial cables. Through the synergy of fixed broadband optical distribution networks (ODNs) and mobile backhaul networks, Safaricom can deploy mini optical line terminals (OLTs) and wireless base stations in the same cabinet, realizing fast deployment and centralized home access, and greatly decreasing network construction costs.

In terms of efficient operation, Huawei's lightweight mini operations support system (OSS) helps Safaricom to reduce the system integration period and complete deployment within only three months, down from 18 months. Huawei also provides a smartphone App that integrates installation, maintenance, and operations, supporting on-site service provisioning and acceptance, shortening service provisioning period from two weeks to less than 48 hours, and doubling installation rates.

Thibuad Rerolle, Safaricom's Director said, "By using Huawei's E2E FTTH solution, we can quickly build the FTTH network. We are keen to broaden the development space for new fixed broadband services."

Jeff Wang, President of Huawei's Access Network Product Line, said, "Emerging markets place strong demands on FTTH network services. The top challenge that operators face is shortening the ROI period. To solve this challenge, Huawei released the E2E FTTH solution. It features precise investment, fast network construction, quick service provisioning, and efficient O&M, enabling operators to greatly shorten the ROI period and achieve business success."

Broadband networks are the foundations for a smart society. Huawei, a world-leading ultra broadband (UBB) network solution provider, is committed to providing innovative future-oriented solutions for operators in the long term. To date, Huawei has provided UBB access services for 500 million home users around the world.

In the future, Huawei will continue to work with global operators and industry partners to drive the sustainable development of the UBB industry and build a better connected world.