First, some background information; a fiber optic network naturally begins with the installation. This is a careful process that involves multiple phases, from planning to activation. Below are the details for each phase.
1. Installation of the neighborhood central office
The installation begins with the setup of a neighborhood central office — the hub that connects all the fiber optic cables in a neighborhood to the national network. From the neighborhood central office, bundles of fibers run towards street cabinets and then to individual homes or business buildings.
For business users, this is often combined with dark fiber options or redundant connections, giving organizations more control over speed and availability.
2. From street to facade
Once the cables are laid in the street, they are extended to the facade of the home or business premises. This is often done via a trench in the sidewalk, but modern installation techniques such as ground mole technology (horizontal boring) are becoming more common. This minimizes excavation damage and inconvenience.
In areas with low population density, collaboration with local municipalities or fiber optic initiatives is often sought to share costs and planning.
3. The connection inside the house
After the cable reaches the facade, it is extended inside, usually to the meter cupboard. Here, the technician installs the FTU (Fiber Termination Unit), the physical connection point for fiber optics. Then, an ONT (Optical Network Terminal) is connected, which converts the optical signal into Ethernet network signals.
For businesses, this step can be expanded with a Managed Fiber Router, VLAN configurations, or redundant connections (e.g., via 5G).
Activation: from cable to connection
A fiber optic cable in the wall does not yet mean active internet. After installation, you need to subscribe to a provider such as KPN, Delta, Odido, or a local provider. The provider activates the connection remotely or via a technician who comes on-site.
For business connections, activation may involve further network configuration (VLANs, static IPs, VPNs, firewalls, etc.).
The latest trends: XGS-PON and faster fiber
The fiber optic technology itself is developing rapidly. While the first connections were often limited to 1 Gbit/s, work is now being done with XGS-PON, a technique that supports symmetrical speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s.
For example, provider DELTA already offers fiber optics with XGS-PON technology. KPN is also working on converting older AON connections to XGS-PON.
Additionally, Ziggo plans to install 25,000 XGS-PON fiber optic connections before the end of 2025, particularly for new homes.
XGS-PON is part of the broader 10G-PON standard (under ITU standards such as G.9807.1).
Sustainability and benefits for businesses
A lesser-known advantage is that fiber optics is often more energy-efficient than copper networks or coax, due to the use of light signals and fewer active amplifiers. There is also increasing attention to the reuse of fiber optic tubes and sheath materials as part of sustainability goals within the telecom sector.
What does all this mean for businesses? Well, fiber optics offers four clear advantages in 2025. Sustainability is one of them, but the biggest advantage lies in higher speed and reliability. With the current cloud infrastructure, AI usage, and remote work, this is crucial. Fiber optics also provides lower latency, which is essential for IoT, remote control, and real-time applications.
A fiber optic network is also easy to scale up (and down) thanks to technologies like XGS-PON. And, not to forget - the technology is future-proof.
Moreover, the growth of fiber optics in the Netherlands leads to more competition among providers regarding speed, SLAs, and additional services (managed WiFi, security, etc.).
Fiber Optics in 2025
Fiber optics will not only provide high speed in 2025 but also reliability, scalability, and energy efficiency. For businesses and households investing or upgrading now, this forms the basis for innovation and connectivity in the coming years.
Furthermore, the Dutch fiber optic network is continuously expanding. In more and more areas, this connection is being established. How this is done exactly, you can read in this article.
The process used for laying fiber optics consists of multiple steps. Below you will find an overview of this.
