HANNOVER, GERMANY – In the rapidly evolving landscape of European telecommunications, the narrative has long been focused on the "race to fiber." However, for a select group of visionary operators who began their deployments over a decade ago, the conversation has shifted. These pioneers are no longer asking how to build a network, but rather how to evolve one.
At the recent BREKO Arbeitstag, a prominent industry event hosted by the German Broadband Association, Hannover-based regional operator htp took center stage to provide a blueprint for this second wave of fiber evolution. Through a collaborative session featuring Jochen Krauss, htp’s Head of Network Planning, and Udo Abt, Senior Consultant of Sales Engineering at Calix, the operator revealed its strategic pivot from legacy Point-to-Point (P2P) Ethernet to native XGS-PON technology.
This transition marks a critical milestone for htp, an operator that deployed Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) long before it became the industry standard. As they navigate the complexities of modernizing an established network, htp’s journey offers vital lessons in efficiency, scalability, and long-term economic sustainability for the broader European market.
Main Facts: The Pivot to Next-Generation Connectivity
The core of htp’s announcement centers on a fundamental shift in network architecture. Having built a robust foundation on Point-to-Point Ethernet, the operator is now transitioning to native XGS-PON (10-Gigabit-capable Symmetric Passive Optical Network) for all new construction and network densification projects.
Key Highlights of the Transition:
- Customer Base: htp currently serves approximately 123,400 residential and 9,710 business customers.
- Market Leadership: 63% of htp’s connections are already activated FTTH lines—a penetration rate that significantly outpaces the German national average.
- The Technology Shift: Moving away from the resource-intensive Point-to-Point (P2P) model to a centralized XGS-PON architecture.
- Economic Impact: A comprehensive Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis revealed that the shift would reduce costs by over 40%, a figure that htp reports has been exceeded in real-world implementation.
- Strategic Partnership: htp has selected the Calix platform to facilitate this transition, prioritizing open management interfaces and hardware flexibility.
By adopting XGS-PON, htp is addressing the dual challenges of increasing bandwidth demand and the physical limitations of legacy central office infrastructure. The move ensures that the operator can provide symmetric 10 Gbps speeds, catering to both high-end residential users and demanding business clients.
Chronology: A Decade of Innovation and Adaptation
To understand htp’s current strategy, one must look back at its history as an early mover in the German broadband sector.
2010–2014: The Early Adoption Phase
In the early 2010s, while much of Germany was still debating the merits of vectoring and copper-based enhancements, htp began its aggressive push into FTTH. Choosing a Point-to-Point Ethernet architecture was a logical step at the time, providing dedicated fibers to each subscriber and ensuring high performance. This early commitment allowed htp to secure a dominant position in the Hannover region.
2015–2020: Scaling and Saturation
As the network grew, htp achieved a penetration rate of 63%. However, the limitations of P2P began to surface. The physical footprint required in central offices (COs) to house thousands of individual fiber terminations started to become a logistical and financial burden. The "active" nature of the network also meant higher power costs and a greater need for cooled street cabinets.
2021–2023: The Strategic Evaluation
Recognizing that the next decade would require even higher speeds and better operational efficiency, htp initiated a rigorous technology review. This period involved intense internal debates between engineering teams—described by Calix’s Udo Abt as a "battle of the best arguments"—comparing GPON, Combo-PON, and native XGS-PON.
2024 and Beyond: The XGS-PON Era
Following the TCO analysis, htp officially committed to native XGS-PON. The rollout began with new "greenfield" builds and network densification. Simultaneously, htp began a multi-year, structured migration program to transition its existing P2P customer base to the new PON architecture, timed with equipment lifecycles to minimize disruption and maximize capital efficiency.
Supporting Data: The Economics of Modernization
The decision to shift architectures was driven by "real numbers" rather than technical curiosity. The TCO analysis conducted by htp highlights the stark differences between legacy P2P and modern XGS-PON.
1. Space and Physical Footprint
The most dramatic data point involves central office equipment. To serve 2,000 subscribers using Point-to-Point Ethernet, htp required approximately 32 rack units of space. In contrast, the same 2,000 subscribers can be served via XGS-PON using just one rack unit. This represents a 97% reduction in space requirements, allowing htp to expand its capacity without needing to build or lease additional real estate.
2. Power and Cooling Efficiency
The transition to a "passive" field network is a game-changer for operational expenses (OpEx). By utilizing distributed splitters, htp has eliminated the need for many powered and cooled street cabinets.
- Power Consumption: Power usage per subscriber is significantly lower under XGS-PON.
- Maintenance: With fewer active components in the field, the frequency of site visits for hardware failure or cooling maintenance is drastically reduced.
3. Service Activation and Labor
Under the P2P model, service activation often required technicians to be present at both the central office and the customer premises to ensure the dedicated line was correctly patched and configured. With XGS-PON and the software-defined nature of the Calix platform, service activation is streamlined. This "zero-touch" approach reduces the labor cost per new connection and improves the customer experience by shortening wait times.
4. Hardware Cost Convergence
Historically, XGS-PON Optical Network Terminals (ONTs) were significantly more expensive than GPON or standard Ethernet equipment. However, htp found that ONT prices fell faster than any market forecast predicted. The narrowing price gap removed the final financial barrier to adopting the 10 Gbps standard over the older 2.5 Gbps GPON standard.
Official Responses: Insights from the BREKO Stage
During the session at BREKO Arbeitstag, the dialogue between Jochen Krauss and Udo Abt highlighted the philosophical shift within htp—from viewing technology as a series of hardware upgrades to viewing it as a software-driven evolution.
Jochen Krauss, Head of Network Planning at htp:
"Technology generations turning over is simply the nature of infrastructure," Krauss observed. "The advantage belongs to operators who plan the transition rather than react to it. We didn’t want to wait for a crisis of capacity or space; we wanted a planned evolution that aligned with our growth targets and our commitment to our customers."
Krauss also emphasized the importance of vendor independence and open standards. "Our procurement requirements were strict: no lock-in on optical components, open management interfaces, and hardware that could withstand the rigors of outdoor deployment. Calix met these requirements, allowing us to maintain control over our network destiny."
Udo Abt, Senior Consultant of Sales Engineering at Calix:
Abt focused on the concept of "operational simplicity." He noted that for a regional operator with a staff of 250, the complexity of managing multiple technology layers can be overwhelming.
"The Calix One™ platform abstracts the access technology," Abt explained. "This means htp’s team can configure PON services using the same familiar terms and workflows they used for Ethernet. We saw an engineer complete his first test installation within just one week. That is the ‘smartphone’ experience—where 4G becomes 5G, but the user doesn’t have to relearn how to use the device. We are bringing that same seamless transition to the network core."
Implications: A Blueprint for the European Fiber Market
The htp case study carries significant implications for the European telecommunications sector, particularly in markets like Germany, the UK, and France, where fiber rollouts are entering a more mature phase.
1. The End of the "One-Size-Fits-All" P2P Era
For years, P2P was touted as the "gold standard" for fiber because of its dedicated bandwidth. However, htp’s move proves that XGS-PON has reached a level of maturity where its shared architecture—with a 1:64 split ratio—can deliver a virtually identical subscriber experience while offering vastly superior economics. This will likely encourage other P2P operators to reconsider their long-term roadmaps.
2. Preparing for 50G PON and Beyond
By moving to XGS-PON now, htp has cleared the path for 50G PON. The infrastructure currently being deployed can support 50G wavelengths in parallel on the same fiber strands. This "future-proofing" is essential for supporting future industrial applications, 5G/6G backhaul, and high-density business districts without requiring another massive civil engineering project.
3. Sustainability as a Business Driver
As European regulations regarding energy efficiency (such as the EU Green Deal) become stricter, the power-saving benefits of PON architectures will become even more attractive. htp’s ability to run an "almost entirely passive" field network aligns with environmental goals while simultaneously padding the bottom line.
4. Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is No Longer Optional
The speed at which htp was able to integrate the Calix platform suggests that the future of fiber is software-defined. Operators who continue to rely on manual, hardware-specific configurations will find themselves at a competitive disadvantage against leaner, more agile operators who use software abstraction to automate their workflows.
5. Predictive Operations and AI
The foundation htp is building today includes the integration of AI-supported predictive operations. By having a unified software layer, htp will be able to identify potential line degradations or equipment failures before they impact the customer. This proactive maintenance model is the next frontier in reducing OpEx and churn.
Conclusion
The message from the BREKO stage was clear: The "first wave" of fiber was about getting glass in the ground. The "second wave" is about intelligence, efficiency, and scalability.
htp has demonstrated that being an early adopter does not mean being stuck with legacy constraints. By treating network evolution as a planned, data-driven strategy rather than a reactive necessity, they have positioned themselves to dominate the Hannover region for the next decade. For the many European operators now approaching the ten-year mark on their initial deployments, htp serves as a compelling proof of concept: the second migration is coming, and with the right planning, it can be a catalyst for unprecedented growth.
