Starman and Nokia to deploy first nationwide 10-gigabit residential network in Europe

• Nokia’s Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) technology makes Starman the first cable provider in Europe to commercially provide 10Gbps residential services
• Starman can now stay ahead of growing demand from customers for data-heavy services including HD video streaming and new virtual reality applications

Espoo, Finland – Nokia and Starman, the largest cable operator in the Baltic States, will deploy the first nationwide 10-gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (10G EPON) in Europe. The new network will let Starman cost-effectively deliver new ultra-broadband services to residential customers living in Estonia and meet growing customer demand for high-speed, high-quality triple-play (voice, Internet and cable) services. The network will be gradually rolled out in Q4 2016 throughout Estonia after successful lab and field tests.

Already a leader in broadband services, Starman is seeing a clear shift from broadcast TV to on-demand TV and video services, and Internet traffic is growing about 50% year after year in one of Europe’s most technology savvy countries. Based on this, Starman decided to go for future-proof technology that ensures their network can deliver 1Gbps speeds to each customer in the near term and up to 10Gbps when required.

The contract shows how cable operators globally are considering deep fiber and fiber-to-the-home deployments as a realistic and cost-effective alternative to upgrading their current DOCSIS®3.0 Hybrid Fiber Coax networks to 3.1, in order to meet subscriber demands.

Starman chose the Nokia 10G EPON solution as the most economical and technologically flexible considering future industry trends. Its business case benefits from local conditions that allow the reuse of existing ducts in the street, and Starman can leverage their in-house cabling rights to bring fiber to each apartment. Furthermore, the solution supports DOCSIS provisioning over EPON (DPoE), which allows for a low-touch integration into the existing cable network and DOCSIS back-end systems. The solution also includes Nokia’s Optical Network Termination (ONT) devices, providing consumers with the latest generation gigabit Wi-Fi technology.

Nokia’s solution makes Starman the first European cable operator to commercially deploy a 10G EPON fiber access residential solution for brownfield deployments.

Starman Group Technology Director Jaanus Erlemann said: “After careful consideration of the different technology options, we determined that Nokia’s 10-gigabit fiber network would allow us to deliver the best service and end-user experience to our customers. We chose Nokia because of their unique ability to provide both the latest technology innovations and expertise from their top specialists. When investing in the Internet services we bring to our customers’ home, ensuring the technology is future-proof is essential. Today we are choosing solutions that can allow for symmetrical connections greater than 1Gbps, enabling us to skip some current technological developments and take a seat on the new high-speed 10G train.”

Federico Guillèn, president of Nokia’s Fixed Networks business group, said : “In addition to the business case, cable operators must consider the rapid evolution of consumer behavior, as well as the quality of the user experience. Starman’s choice recognizes the value of Nokia’s fiber products to support the evolution of capacity, bandwidth and services in their network. We are proud that our fiber access solutions and expertise helps cable operators meet customer demands with high-capacity, high-quality connectivity.”

Did you know?

• Cable networks go into the homes of 64.5 million customers in the European Union, providing digital TV, broadband Internet, and telephony services (cable-europe.eu)

About Starman

AS Starman is a leading telecommunications company in Estonia, servicing every third Estonian household. The company provides fiber optic cable network-based television, Internet and telephone services, and transmits terrestrial digital television signal via the ZUUMtv service, which is available on 90% of Estonia’s territory. Starman started its business in 1992 and employs 330 people.

Starman Group owns AS Starman in Estonia and UAB Cgates in Lithuania.

Starman and Cgates revenues in 2015 were 55.6 million euros and operating profit before taxes and depreciation (EBITDA) during the same period reached 25.6 million. The group’s fiber optic cable network in the Baltic States reaches more than 721,000 homes.