ZTE Ready to Boost Next-Generation Access Market Share in Europe

China’s ZTE is optimistic about its chances of growing its European market share in broadband infrastructure when telcos start to roll out next-generation networks.

The vendor’s low European market share is “an opportunity”, insisted Jane Chen, senior vice president at ZTE on Wednesday.

European operators are very serious about next-generation access products and “we are ready” to serve that market, said Chen, speaking to journalists at Broadband World Forum. “We will increase our market share very quickly,” she said.

ZTE was a latecomer into Europe. “As the newcomer you need new products... to break through,” Chen said.

With that in mind, ZTE on Wednesday unveiled its Unified Intelligent Fixed Access Network (Uni-FAN) broadband acceleration solution, a technology-neutral platform designed to help telcos roll out high-speed networks.

Uni-FAN supports DSL and PON networks, and is next-generation PON-ready. “Uni-FAN is there to help operators to improve their business models,” said Christophe de Saint-Martin, director of marketing for western Europe at ZTE. “It is the best way to manage different technologies.”

ZTE has already signed up Italian altnet Tiscali, whose “FTTH network will be deployed on the island of Sardinia,” and will be based on Uni-FAN, de Saint-Martin said. The company will also provide the Uni-FAN platform to Teo in Lithuania.

According to statistics published by IDATE and the FTTH Council Europe on Tuesday, Lithuania is the most advanced country in Europe in terms of fibre deployments, with household penetration having risen above 20%.

“Operators are facing some challenges,” noted de Saint-Martin. The demand for bandwidth from social networking, online TV and video is growing, but revenues are flat. “Legacy networks are not cost-effective enough,” he said. “Operators need to reduce their total cost of ownership,” as well as increasing revenues.

Uni-FAN will help operators to simplify their networks and network management, reduce churn, and maximize their return on investment, de Saint-Martin said. “Uni-FAN can also be used as a mobile backhaul solution,” he added.