Internet service providers from different regions held a meeting at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, with the main focus on increasing xPON connections. This was announced by Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
According to him, the technology provides access to the home Internet for 72 hours during power outages, which is very important in the context of constant shelling by Russia.
“We have to do everything we can to connect as many people as possible to the technology, and to become the best in the world in terms of speed and number of xPON connections,” Fedorov said.
“The Ministry of Digital Transformation is motivating providers and Ukrainians to switch to this technology starting in 2022, and the enemy is increasing the intensity of shelling, so we have to be prepared for different scenarios.
Problems with the transition to xPON
Market representatives discussed the problems that prevent providers from quickly connecting xPON, especially in the frontline areas.
Solutions to help providers quickly increase the number of xPON connections:
- Improved booking conditions for emergency crews that restore the Internet upon arrival;
- government assistance and international investments that will help providers connect and scale xPON in Ukraine faster;
- prolonging the Internet subvention, which will help increase the number of settlements with optical Internet access;
- working on the Diia service, which will allow Ukrainians to see the nearest xPON providers, the price and the connection time.
An important transition
“It is important for us that people connect to xPON as quickly as possible and that the price is affordable,” the minister said.
The meeting also discussed how xPON helped during the recent large-scale power outages and how it works in the areas under constant shelling. As a result, after the shelling, 90% of subscribers who have connected xPON have stable Internet access.
For example, during the last blackout, the Internet was available to 100% of xPON users in 8 hours and only 27% of FTTB users.
“I am grateful to the business for the constructive dialog. We have identified the tracks to follow to ensure stable communication during blackouts,” adds Fedorov.
