CTAM Eurosummit – Lisbon. Cablenets are maintaining their use of the term fiber as they look to promote the technological superiority of EuroDOCSIS 3 broadband against telco-delivered ADSL product without the use of confusing jargon.
“Guys want to take the term fiber and own it,” said UPC Broadband’s director of marketing communications, Europe, Eric Forsthoefel. “As marketers we can’t let them do that.” Typically fiber is used within the broadband cable network, dropping at the kerb, with co-axial cable run for the final few metres. Other sectors within the telecommunications industry refer to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH).
Forsthoefel explained that in UPC’s Europe-wide Fiber Power campaign, the aim had been to harness the idea of speed and power. An initial campaign of lights and waves was followed up with further advertisements that brought in the human element of the product. “The entire proposition was positioned as Fiber Power – creating the impression that it is easier to switch – and making it more aspirational.
Virgin Media executive director broadband Jon James said the UK cabler had today completed the upgrade of its network to the 50 Mbps broadband service. “We used fibre-optic to take us up the value chain and change the capacity of our offering.” He added that the Virgin Network would ultimately be capable of 200 Mbps.
