When more is less: the risks and downsides of overbuild 

Fibre overbuilds in the 21st century are becoming a widespread problem, with more fibre cable being laid on streets than can ever be utilised by the residents. Not only does this often cause mayhem on the roads, with closures and roadworks slowing traffic, but fibre overbuilds can lead to countless negative effects on the environment and the eventual rise in cost to the consumer and developer. 

Here we explore fibre overbuild in property developments and share what effect it has on telecommunication infrastructure. Read on to discover the risks, the downsides, and workable solutions to overbuild form the ultra-fast broadband experts at Pulse Fibre. 

The risks of fibre overbuild

Firstly, it is important to understand what ‘fibre overbuild’ is. Fibre overbuild refers to the deployment of excessive fibre-optic infrastructure in a given area. While fibre-optic infrastructure can offer significant benefits such as faster and more reliable internet connectivity, there are several risks associated with fibre overbuilding, which we explore in this document.  

Pulse Fibre understands that fibre-optic infrastructure is a valuable asset, but we believe it is important for ISPs to carefully consider the potential risks of overbuilding before deploying excessive infrastructure in a given area.  

The disadvantages of fibre overbuild

 Fibre broadband is an essential part of modern society, providing high-speed internet access to homes and businesses. However, overbuilding can have several negative impacts that can significantly impact customer satisfaction, brand value, and competitive advantage. These negative impacts include wasted resources, limited consumer choice, negative brand perception, service quality issues, and unsustainability.  

The disadvantages of fibre overbuild are:

• Cost: Fibre optic broadband infrastructure can be an expensive endeavour, especially if it involves duplicating existing networks. This cost can ultimately be passed on to consumers, making broadband services more expensive and potentially reducing the adoption rate of fibre optic services. 
• Inefficiency: As mentioned above, overbuilding can lead to dormant infrastructure, creating wasted resources and increased environmental impact. This is particularly relevant in the case of fibre optic broadband, where installing fibre can be resource intensive. 
• Fragmentation: When different service providers own and operate various parts of the infrastructure, it can make it difficult for consumers to switch between providers and could result in reduced competition.  
• Legal and regulatory issues: Particularly in cases where existing service providers have exclusive rights to operate in certain areas. This can result in lengthy legal battles that delay the deployment of new infrastructure. 

• Maintenance: Increased maintenance costs can occur, especially if there is redundant infrastructure that needs to be maintained. This can ultimately lead to higher costs for consumers or reduced network quality – something we are wholeheartedly against at Pulse Fibre. 
• Technology obsolescence: Expensive upgrades or replacements may be required down the line if new infrastructure is not designed to accommodate future upgrades. 
• Wasted resources: Overbuilding for fibre solutions can result in the waste of valuable resources, including time, money, and materials. 
• Environmental: Overbuilding multiplies CO2 emissions as duplicate workforces are deployed, travelling more miles, digging more holes and creating a piecemeal labour profile. As well as laying more raw materials which may never get used. More information can be found on the Journal of Lightwave Technology. 

Overbuild is not providing consumers with a better service

 As the demand for faster and more reliable internet connectivity has increased, many telecommunication companies often resort to ‘overbuild’ as their strategy. Although this may seem like they are offering consumers a wider choice of service providers, but the reality is that overbuild is not necessarily translating into a better service for consumers. While it may initially appear as a promising approach to encourage competition and drive innovation, overbuilding often leads to redundant infrastructure and fails to deliver the expected benefits. The negative consequences of overbuild are multi-fold, ranging from increased costs for both service providers and consumers to an inefficient allocation of resources and environmental concerns. 

How to avoid fibre overbuild

 Fundamentally, overbuilding fibre networks can be avoided by using one full fibre broadband company to provide broadband for a whole area or building to ensure the efficient and sustainable development of broadband infrastructure. This is why Pulse Fibre focuses on installing their network in new housing developments, causing minimal disruption to roads as it is put in place during existing works.  

Some other methods to avoid fibre overbuild are: 

• Plan and coordinate: Before deploying fibre networks, it is important for network providers to plan and coordinate with other providers in the area to ensure there is no duplication of efforts. This can include sharing information on network deployment plans and collaborating on network design and construction. 
• Focus on underserved areas: Rather than competing for the same customers in highly populated areas, network providers can focus on serving underserved areas. This can help to reduce redundancy and ensure that resources are being used efficiently. 

• Use existing infrastructure: Network providers can utilize existing infrastructure, such as utility poles or existing fibre networks, to reduce the need for new infrastructure. This can also help to reduce the cost of deployment. 
• Consider different technologies: Network providers can consider utilising different technologies, such as wireless or satellite, to serve various parts of the area. This can help to reduce the amount of fibre overbuild and create a more diverse and resilient network. 
• Share infrastructure: Network providers can collaborate and share infrastructure, such as fibre optic cables and ducts, to reduce the amount of duplication and redundancy in the network.
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Pulse Fibre, end-to-end fibre experts avoiding overbuild

As you can see, fibre overbuild can have negative consequences across various industries, including increased costs, reduced quality, decreased efficiency, negative impacts on the environment, decreased customer satisfaction, reduced brand value, and a loss of competitive advantage. More is not always better, and it is essential to understand the customer’s needs and demand, conduct market research, analyse data, and implement lean production processes to avoid overbuild. By doing so, businesses can increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve customer satisfaction, and adapt to changing market conditions. It is crucial for readers to consider the risks and downsides of overbuild in their own lives and work, and to implement strategies to avoid it. This can lead to sustainable growth and success in the long run, while also benefiting the economy, the environment, and society. 

While overbuilding may seem like a promising idea to increase competition and consumer choice in broadband infrastructure in the short term, it can have significant risks and downsides in the long term. Service providers and policymakers should carefully consider the costs and benefits of overbuilding before investing in new infrastructure.

Are you leading a new development and want ultra-fast broadband without the risk of overbuild? Contact us at Pulse Fibre and let’s start a project together.