Fiber to the room improves networks for immersive reality services

The Evolution of In-Premise Networks In the Era of Immersive Services: From Copper to Fiber-to-The Room [Invited Tutorial]

Networking and Internet Architecture

Summary

Indoor networks using copper and WiFi struggle to support high-demand immersive applications like collaborative extended reality (XR). The authors explain why bringing fiber optic cables directly to individual rooms can close this performance gap. They introduce a new way to manage network resources using traffic forecasts and machine learning that adjusts to different network parts. Their tests show this approach reduces the workload on devices while ensuring XR experiences remain smooth across rooms. They also suggest ways to make the investment in fiber more cost-effective by supporting multiple services on the same infrastructure.

What this means in practice

  • For telecommunications network designers: Design indoor broadband networks that flexibly allocate resources for immersive XR by integrating fiber-to-the-room with predictive traffic management.
  • For enterprise it infrastructure teams: Deploy fiber-to-the-room networks that support seamless device mobility and high-quality experiences for collaborative XR applications within office spaces.
  • For smart building system integrators: Use unified optical infrastructures to carry multiple services over the same physical fiber, maximizing infrastructure use and enabling new service offerings.$Commercial implications: Enables selling bundled optical infrastructure services to commercial buildings for improved connectivity and diverse application support.

Authors

Elaine Wong, Sourav Mondal

Abstract

The telecommunications industry is shifting toward an experience-driven era defined by immersive applications that impose stringent network demands. While passive optical network (PON)-based Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) architectures have historically delivered high-capacity broadband, a growing performance gap between access and indoor networks necessitates driving fiber deeper into premises. Complementing existing copper and WiFi technologies, Fiber-to-the-Room (FTTR) is emerging as a critical enabler. This article examines the drivers of this architectural shift, specifically focusing on collaborative extended reality (XR). We analyze the multi-modal traffic characteristics and Quality-of-Experience (QoE) requirements of XR, alongside the resulting network performance implications. To address these demands, we propose a novel resource allocation framework integrating coarse-grained traffic forecasting with intelligent in-premise roaming. This framework facilitates the flexible deployment of artificial intelligence models tailored to the computational capabilities of the FTTH, FTTR, and WiFi segments. Numerical evaluations of a representative multi-tier network demonstrate that long-horizon, multi-step-ahead traffic forecasts significantly reduce inference frequency. This approach enables coordinated resource allocation and network-orchestrated seamless mobility across rooms, effectively satisfying collaborative XR QoE requirements. Finally, we highlight strategies to amortize FTTR capital expenditure by extending the optical infrastructure's role beyond basic connectivity. By supporting diverse services over a unified physical layer, FTTR enhances infrastructure utilization, unlocks novel revenue streams, and maximizes the value of in-premise fiber deployments.
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