Glossary - Openfiber

Aerial network

A portion of a telecommunications network that is laid on a mast or suspended between buildings.

Augmented reality

A form of virtual reality in which computer-generated information elements are superimposed on the real scene perceived by a viewer. Applications based on augmented reality require the use of special glasses or devices with a camera such as a smartphone, so that images of reality can be overlaid with pictures, captions, and diagrams. Examples include applications that draw the outline of constellations by framing the stars in the night sky, games that immerse characters in an everyday environment, furniture simulators to display furniture inside empty houses, etc.

A&B and C&D Clusters

A study commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Development and carried out by Infratel Italia divided Italy into four ‘Clusters’, which include Italian municipalities on the basis of their characteristics (presence of infrastructure, population density, presence of companies) to identify the type and cost of interventions to deliver ultra broadband. The A&B cluster, where about 60% of the Italian population is located, already has infrastructure for fast connections (albeit with limited capacity). The C&D cluster mainly covers White Areas where low-speed Internet is available.

ADSL

ADSL, Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, is one of the cable broadband technologies which, via a modem, uses the normal copper twisted pair and transforms the traditional telephone line into a high-speed digital connection. This type of connection is referred to as ‘asymmetric’ because it permits two different speeds: a higher download speed to receive data and a limited upload speed to transmit it. Operating in Italy since 2000, the quality of an ADSL connection depends on the consistency of the copper, the distance of the main collector, and, last but not least, whether or not the distributor is connected via fibre optics to the rest of the network.

Buffering

A buffer is an area of a computer’s memory that temporarily handles information while it is being transferred to another computer. When streaming multimedia content, buffering refers to the operation of pre-loading a certain amount of data (typically spanning a few seconds) before showing a video or playing a piece of music in order to prevent ‘hiccup’ effects due to momentary network congestion.

Broadband

The term broadband, in telecommunications, generally refers to the transmission and reception of information data at a connection speed of over 144 kb/s. Broadband organises different channels, conveying different content in the form of data, such as Internet radio, animation, audio files and high-definition video.

Backbone

This term refers to a very high-speed network that connects other networks. For example, the Open Fiber backbone connects the cities covered by the service. Another example are Internet backbones that connect national networks and allow users in each country to see any site located in another part of the world.

Black Areas

Black Areas are those in which there are, or will be in the near future, at least two different providers of ultra-broadband network services and the provision is taking place under competitive conditions.

Cloud computing

Cloud computing is the new name for a practice that is as old as computer networks: using the computational resources of a geographically distant computer as if it were our own PC. The first and most long-standing example of this is e-mail. The technological evolution of computers and the speed of ultra-broadband networks makes it possible to take this approach to the extreme: remote data centres hosting thousands of servers, which store our documents, photos, music and run programmes that are seemingly located on our laptops or smartphones.

Dark fibre

All the optical fibre that is laid, but not yet illuminated by data transmission equipment. Operators always install more cables than they intend to use at the time of installation to anticipate future demand for this type of network. This is primarily possible because the cost of fibre optics is a fraction of the total cost of building infrastructure (excavation, work sites, etc.). Dark fibre can then be rented and bought by entities that then connect their own transmission equipment to it.

Download

The action of downloading or retrieving data from the network.

Digital divide

A term to describe the gap between those who can use new information and communication technologies and those who, for technical, economic or social reasons, are unable to use them. Read the news item “Digital divide and social inequality: the role of Open Fiber” to find out more.

Digital Compass 2030

Through the 2030 Digital Compass, the European Union has set 4 macro-targets for member states to achieve in the areas of skills, business, infrastructure and public services. In terms of Gigabit connectivity, this plan stipulates the availability of a fixed ultra-fast network (at least 1 Gbps) and a mobile network (5G) in all populated areas of the continent by 2030. To learn more about the 2030 Digital Compass, visit the European Parliament website.

Digital Agenda for Europe

The first Digital Agenda (2010-2020) proposed harnessing the potential of information and communications technology (ICT) to foster innovation, economic growth and progress by improving access to digital goods and services for consumers and businesses across Europe. The second Digital Agenda for Europe (2020-2030) focuses on the profound changes brought about by digital technologies and the creation of secure digital markets and services. Gigabit connectivity, 5G and 6G, and European data infrastructures are also among the priorities. In 2021, the strategy was complemented by the Digital Compass 2030 with a strong focus on the issue of connectivity. For more information visit the European Commission’s official website.

Ethernet

The term Ethernet refers to all technologies used for creating LANs, both physical and structural, which enable data exchange between devices.

E-Learning

Contraction of Electronic Learning, also known as online learning or distance learning, i.e. the use of multimedia technologies and the Internet to improve learning quality by facilitating access to resources and services, as well as remote exchanges and collaboration.

E-commerce

A contraction of ‘Electronic Commerce’, i.e. the buying and selling of goods and services directly on the web or via e-mail without going to shops and department stores.

E-government

Contraction of ‘electronic government’, better known as digital government, referring to the combined use of computers, mobile devices and the Internet to enable public administrations to offer services to citizens or other public and private entities.

FWA

Also known as ‘Wireless Local Loop’ (WLL), FWA refers to the use of radio solutions to cover the last mile to property units dispersed in very sparsely populated areas. A main antenna, typically connected to the network via fibre optics, covers an area of varying size where an antenna is mounted on each property unit equipped with an apparatus that transforms the radio signal and enables the connection of the CPE (Customer Premises Equipment), the electronic device used as a user-side terminal.

Future-proof

Fibre optics is referred to as ‘future-proof’ because it is the only solution that can evolve and support increasing transmission capacities, which in the future may reach up to 40 Gbps, supporting the most advanced services and the potential of new technologies that will arrive in the coming years.

FTTH

“Fiber to the Home” is the technology that connects POPs, located in exchanges, to end users’ property units with fibre optics.

FTTH Council

A European organisation founded in 2004 by major industry players with the aim of accelerating the deployment of fibre connectivity across the continent. It includes more than 150 members including FTTH operators, equipment manufacturers and academic institutions. The FTTH Council aims to disseminate Fibre to the Home, which it views as key to driving local economic development and building a prosperous and sustainable future.

FTTC

Fiber To The Cabinet (FTTC) denotes a network architecture partly consisting of a copper ADSL cable and partly of a fibre-optic cable. The former travels the shortest route, connecting the user’s modem to the switching box, while the latter, the fibre cable, completes the route all the way to the exchange.

FTTB

“Fiber To The Building” or “Basement” depending on interpretation. In this scenario, optical fibre is laid right up to the threshold of a building or within a common space, such as a cellar or basement. The connection to individual flats then continues with other technologies, typically using copper.

Flex-Grid Network

In a fibre-optic backbone, in order to improve the use of optical resources and increase data transmission speed, the total capacity is divided into a number of adjacent channels, each capable of transporting from 10 Gigabits to 40 Gigabits, up to a maximum of 100 Gigabits. This approach is referred to as Fixed-Grid. In a network with Flex-Grid technology, adjacent channels can be combined to achieve arbitrary transmission capacities of up to 1 Terabit. This makes it possible to dynamically increase the capacity of the backbone based on end-user bandwidth demand.

Fibre core

A fibre-optic cable consists of two very thin glass tubes inserted inside each other. The inner tube, the ‘core’, is composed of silicon oxide (a glassy material) that enables the passage and transmission of light.

Fibre terminator

The fibre terminator is a passive element placed inside the property unit that defines the termination point of the optical fibre used to connect the P.U. to the Open Fiber access network. The terminator is connected to the ONT (Optical Network Termination) and router, through which the user will be able to take advantage of all fibre optic connectivity services.

GPON

An acronym for Gigabit Passive Optical Network, an active access technology for providing connectivity over PON FTTH infrastructure. It is defined as active because it is implemented using active network elements such as OLTs, in the central office, and ONTs, in users’ homes. However, the underlying network infrastructure is passive (Passive Optical Network) because it exclusively uses elements that do not require power, such as splitters that allow the optical fibre to be separated into multiple links that branch off to different buildings, reducing the amount of optical fibre and network equipment required. GPON technology provides unprecedented bandwidth (up to 2.5 Gbps downstream and 1.25 Gbps upstream) and greater distance from the exchange, allowing service providers to enable bandwidth-intensive applications.

Gigabit

The Gigabit is the unit of measurement that represents 1 billion bits and is abbreviated as Gbit or Gb. This unit of measurement is often used, together with the megabit and the kilobit, in relation to time (in seconds) for calculating the transmission speed of digital signals, mainly used to calculate the speed of a data download. The Gbit/s is currently a widely used unit of measurement to refer to data transmission speed in computer networks.

Grey Areas

Grey Areas are those in which there is only one Network Operator providing ultra-broadband services and it is unlikely that another network will be installed.

Home automation

Home automation is a field that studies technologies to improve quality of life in the home and automate its management as much as possible. It requires a strongly interdisciplinary approach since it combines architecture, building and energy engineering, electronics, IT and telecommunications. Home automation makes it possible to build a smart home in which, for example, switching on lights, opening doors and shutters, managing air conditioning, security systems and communication systems communicate internally or externally, including via mobile phones, smartphones and the Internet.

IT

Acronym for ‘Information Technology’, the technology used in the management and processing of information. This refers to the use of any computer, storage and networking system and other physical devices, infrastructure and processes to create, process, store, protect and exchange electronic data in any format.

IoT

The ‘Internet of things’ is the idea of networking any device with a power button. Paradoxically, this can be anything, from mobile phones to coffee machines, washing machines, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, headphones, lamps, and wearable devices. This also applies to internal machine components, such as sensors in a car. This immense network of connected objects could improve many aspects of our lives: imagine a refrigerator which, by reading the barcodes of the products it stores, could tell us what is about to expire and what has run out, allowing it to suggest a shopping list. A coffee machine that switches on at the right time knowing the alarm time set on your smartphone, a car that suggests the best route to take based on traffic information sent by other cars.

Internet

The word comes from the fusion of the English terms international and net, i.e. international network. This term refers to the worldwide computer network that users all over the world can access via a computer to transmit and share data and information.

Infratel

Infratel Italia S.p.A. is an in-house company of the Ministry of Economic Development and is the implementing party of the Government’s Broadband and Ultra-Broadband Plans. For more information visit www.infratelitalia.it

Industry 4.0

This term refers to the fourth industrial revolution and envisions a production process based on the connection between physical and digital systems, complex analyses through Big Data and real-time adaptations. In other words: use of web-connected machines, analysis of information from the web and the possibility of more flexible management of the production cycle. Enabling technologies range from 3D printers to robots programmed for certain functions, via cloud-based data management and data analysis to detect production weaknesses and strengths. It is the IoT applied to industrial production.

ICT

An acronym for ‘Information and Communications Technology’. ICT is the set of technologies that provide access to information via telecommunications. Unlike information technology, ICT is more focused on communication technologies, such as the Internet, wireless networks, mobile phones and other means of communication.

Lead-in duct

The portion of the laying infrastructure or fibre optic connection between the first manhole or access network chamber located on public land near the building and the point where the vertical cabling of the building begins.

LTE

“Long Term Evolution”, i.e. the standard for high-speed wireless networks dedicated to mobile devices and based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA technologies.

Latency

This term indicates the time lapse between the stimulation of a system and the observation of the resulting effect. In telecommunications, by extension, it refers to the time it takes for a data packet to travel from the source computer to the destination computer.

LAN

A computer network covering a limited area such as a single room, a building (e.g. a school) or a set of adjacent buildings (a university campus or a company).

Megabit

A unit of measurement equal to one million bits, used to specify the transmission speed of computer networks: Mb per second (Mb/s). Not to be confused with a Megabyte (MB), one million bytes, each consisting of 8 bits. A Megabyte is eight times larger than a Megabit. It takes 8 seconds to transmit 1 Megabyte at a speed of 1 Megabit.

National Strategy for Ultra-Broadband

The National Strategy for Ultra-Broadband aims to develop an ultra-broadband network in Italy and accelerate our country’s digital transition, in line with the European targets contained in the Digital Compass. The National Strategy for Ultra-Broadband consists of seven interventions: 1 Giga Italy Plan, White Areas Plan, Voucher Plan, 5G Italy Plan, Connected Schools Plan, Connected Health Plan, Small Islands Plan. The Italian government has launched the 1 Giga Italy Plan, which aims to guarantee connection speeds of at least 1 Gbps download and 200 Mbps (Megabits per second) upload throughout the country by 2026.

NIC

The NIC (Network Interface Card) is an electronic device installed inside the PC that allows the computer to interface with the network. Performing all logical processing functions, it enables the connection of a device and the subsequent transmission and reception of data.

Network

In computer language, the term network defines a set of hardware and software devices which, when linked together, enable the exchange and sharing of resources, data or information. In a computer network, the devices that generate, route and terminate data are called network nodes.

NDP

The NDP (Neutral Delivery Point) is the network node that allows all Operators to access the infrastructure built by Concessionaires such as Open Fiber. Each NDP terminates all the fibres laid in the area of the relevant municipality, which are used to bring ultra-broadband connection to users.

NGN

Next Generation Network is the next-generation access network, which is based on optical fibre and enables broadband and ultra-broadband access services.

Neutral host

Neutral host is a model designed to optimise the costs involved in providing cellular network signal coverage inside large buildings or for temporary events such as trade fairs or gatherings. In such cases, each Operator should set up its own infrastructure (masts, antennas, power, etc.). A neutral host solution would instead allow a single infrastructure to be set up and access to be sold to all interested Operators.

OTDR

An acronym for Optical Time Domain Reflectometer. An optoelectronic measuring device used to carry out fault analysis and diagnosis for optical fibres.

OLT

An acronym for Optical Line Terminal. The OLT is designed to deliver data to the end customer and is used to connect fibre-optic trunk lines. It performs two essential functions: for the upstream, it completes the upstream access of the PON network; for the downstream, it sends and distributes the acquired data to all terminal devices.

Optical fiber

A cable made of glass fibre through which a light signal is transmitted over long distances for broadband network access. Compared to copper cables, optical fibre can transmit signals much faster, up to 40 Gigabits per second. It is therefore ideal for quickly transferring large amounts of data; it is also unaffected by external interference (electromagnetic interference, temperature variations, etc.). While fibre optics certainly offers the advantage of fast, high-quality and secure data transmission, its high installation cost is a drawback for network builders. Read the news to find out more: “Optical fibre, what it is and how it works”.

P.U.

Property unity.

PTE

The PTE is the termination node of the horizontal network. It is generally located near the electricity meter room within each building, although alternative scenarios are possible.

Provider

The term ‘provider’ is often used to identify the so-called Internet Service Provider (ISP), i.e. the entity that offers users access to the Internet via a remote connection using a telephone line or broadband.

POP

The POP, ‘Point of Presence’, is located at Enel’s Primary Cabins, but not exclusively; it also acts as a meet-me-room for Operators. It contains each Operator’s OLT equipment, as well as the OTDR monitoring system.

PON

PON stands for Passive Optical Network, which describes all types of optical networks that have no active equipment between the start and end point. One of these is the network used to bring the fibre-optic link to the end-user by means of point-to-multipoint architecture in which a single fibre is used to reach several recipients via non-powered optical splitters.

Piano Italia 1 Giga

PON stands for Passive Optical Network, which describes all types of optical networks that have no active equipment between the start and end point. One of these is the network used to bring the fibre-optic link to the end-user by means of point-to-multipoint architecture in which a single fibre is used to reach several recipients via non-powered optical splitters.

PFP

The PFP is the node at which the first level of splitting takes place.

PD

The PD is the node that collects the fibres from each building.

P2P

The acronym for peer-to-peer. This term is used in telecommunications to refer to a logical computer network architecture model in which nodes can act both as clients and servers to other terminal nodes (hosts) in the network.

Point-to-point Connection

A line of communication that exclusively connects two geographically separate locations. It is typically created with fibre-optic cabling.

Router

A network device that routes data packets between different networks or between sub-networks of the same network. Large carrier routers establish the traffic paths on the Internet backbone, while the more familiar home routers merely exchange packets between the home network and the Operator’s network, which in turn feeds into the worldwide Internet.

Roll-out

The gradual release according to a plan of all the elements of a complex infrastructure, such as, for example, a fibre-optic network.

Resilience

The term originated in metallurgy, denoting a metal’s ability to resist forces applied to it; its opposite is the brittleness index. For computer systems and telecommunications networks, resilience is the ability to continue to function according to predefined acceptable parameters, including after failures or other destructive events. Fibre optic networks are resilient in that they are often constructed in the form of redundant loops that allow data to flow in one direction or the other, thereby compensating for cable cuts.

ROC

Register of communication operators. This is a register listing all Telecommunication Operators. Its purpose is to ensure the transparency and disclosure of ownership structures, to enable application of the rules concerning anti-concentration regulations, the protection of information pluralism, and compliance with the limits set for shareholdings in foreign companies. More information can be found on the ROC page.

Splitter

Also known as an optical splitter, this is a passive device (i.e. not requiring a power supply) used in PON technology to sort and combine light wave energy. A splitter replicates the optical signal from one fibre to a predefined number of other fibres (splitter 1 to 8, 1 to 4 and so on) and combines the optical signals from the different clients.

SOC

The operational control centre of the Open Fiber network, divided into five major cores: Delivery, Assurance, Network Monitoring, Specialist Support and Control Room. Delivery handles end-user activation on the basis of requests from our Partner Operators who have purchased both active and passive services. Assurance, on the recommendation of the Partner Operator or in the event of an internal alarm, locates any faults and proceeds to repair them. This control and support is guaranteed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Network Monitoring allows the status of individual active fibres, equipment and systems to be monitored and faults to be detected in a very timely manner, with the aim of eliminating or minimising end users’ perception of disruption. Specialist Support and the Control Room support Delivery, Assurance and Network Monitoring by equipping them with all the tools, training and organisation to do their job as effectively as possible. A distinctive element that makes the Open Fiber SOC unique is that it includes the Rome POP, which will serve the capital city and is the heart of our network.

Shelter

A prefabricated building to house equipment for the operation of telecommunications networks distributed throughout the region. Some OF POPs are housed in one or more shelters.

Scalability

The term scalability refers to a system’s ability to scale up or scale down according to needs and availability. In the case of software or hardware, it is the ability to adapt to an increase in demand or workload. It therefore indicates whether a system is suitable for growth or not. For telecommunications networks, it is the ability to cope with unexpected spikes in traffic.

Terminating segment

The segment of an NGA connecting the end user’s property unit to the first distribution point. The terminating segment therefore includes vertical cabling inside the building and possibly horizontal cabling to an optical splitter located in the basement of the building or in a nearby manhole.

Telephone pair

A cable consisting of two insulated and twisted copper wires used to construct telephone systems since the end of the 19th century. During the 20th century, all public telephone networks were built with this technology and even today the so-called ‘last mile’, i.e. the cable that actually enters homes, is a telephone pair. The only exception is FTTH – Fibre To The Home, which allows optical fibre to finally enter homes directly.

Upload

Uploading data online.

Underground network

A portion of a telecommunications network that runs in tubes that are in turn laid in excavations in the ground.

UBB

Ultra-broadband is when the actual download connection speed is at least 30 Mbps. Networks in which the connection speed reaches or exceeds 1 Gbps are generically referred to as ultra-fast networks. To enable these speeds, optical fibres must be used instead of traditional copper cables, which is why these networks are called optical access networks (NGANs) or, more simply, optical networks (NGNs).

VoIP

An acronym for Voice Over Internet Protocol, the technology allows telephone calls to be made using the Internet as the carrier instead of the traditional telephone network, the one built over the last 100 years with copper cables and special exchanges. It is thanks to VoIP that a telephone connected to a fibre-optic network can call any other user who is still connected to the traditional telephone network.

WLAN

An acronym for Wireless Local Area Network, referring to a local area network that connects hosts together using wireless technology. The most frequently used wireless network protocols are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Wireless

Connections that use ‘wireless’ transmission systems to connect the user’s device to the network. Typical examples are 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, and WiMax.

WiMAX

WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a family of standards for wireless communications. It was designed to use radio transmissions to replace the infamous last mile where the use of laid cables was too costly and impractical. It is one of the possible technologies with which FWA can be implemented.

Wholesale

Open Fiber is a ‘wholesale only’ operator, i.e. it operates exclusively in the wholesale market, offering access on fair and non-discriminatory terms to all interested Market Operators.

Wireless broadband

Wireless connections transmit data via radio waves (electromagnetic waves) and can therefore also be used in remote areas. Examples of wireless broadband connections are HiperLAN, WiMAX, satellite connections or mobile networks.

White Areas

White Areas are those where private operators have not deemed it worthwhile to invest and therefore lack broadband and ultra-broadband infrastructure.

XGS-PON

An acronym for 10 Gigabit Symmetric Passive Optical Network, the evolution of GPON technology that enables connection speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second in both downstream and upstream, as specified by the ‘S’ for Symmetric. This is the main evolutionary step of GPON after XG-PON, which allows a maximum speed of 2.5 Gbps upstream and a maximum speed of only 10 Gbps downstream. The increase in maximum supported upload capacity is one of the most important features of XGS-PON, which is set to become the mainstream technology of the coming years.

XG-PON

An acronym for 10 Gigabit Passive Optical Network technology for the provision of ultra-broadband services over PON FTTH infrastructure, supporting access speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second downstream (as indicated by the first two letters ‘XG’) and up to 2.5 Gigabits per second upstream. This is an evolution of GPON technology, which is currently the most widespread and robust access technology on PON FTTH networks. A later development is the XGS-PON technology, which allows identical maximum speeds both downstream and upstream, i.e. up to 10 Gigabits per second (as specified by the ‘S’ for Symmetric).