Jort Wever on ‘Fiber on Copper out’ at KPN: ‘The future is now’

IJburg in Amsterdam, Bergeijk, Bennekom, Eibergen, Eersel and Zwolle Stadshagen lead the way. KPN has switched off the copper network at approximately 40,000 addresses in these locations. The impact on customers was minimal. Jort Wever, Program Director for ‘Fiber on, Copper out’ at KPN, explains.

“KPN is replacing its fixed copper network with a fiber network. We are currently active in more than 50 municipalities in more than 100 areas. With this enormous operation, we’re providing the majority of the Netherlands with fiber and, as a result, the best internet. We started switching off the copper network in the six pilot areas at the beginning of April.”

Why does the copper network have to be switched off?
Jort: “There are many benefits of fiber for the customer: It is the fastest network. It requires less maintenance, the capacity is almost infinite, it takes up considerably less space, it is much more energy efficient and, of course, it is expensive to keep two networks up and running. The latest fiber techniques mean that, for example, switching from one provider to another is simply a matter of pressing a button, rather than needing an engineer to come by. The future is already here.”

How do you turn off a copper network?
Jort: “In fact, the traditional copper telephone exchanges are cut off from the KPN network, which turns off the power to the copper. These telephone exchanges are then no longer needed, or only a part of it. KPN has approximately 1300 of these exchanges. KPN is allowed to leave the copper infrastructure in the ground as long as the ground is not disturbed again. So, as soon as local earthworks are carried out, the municipality can ask us to remove any copper infrastructure there.”

What will happen to the copper exchanges?
Jort: “The buildings where they are housed will be sold, circularly dismantled, and are often re-purposed. In Zwolle Stadshagen, for example, they are being replaced with homes and in Amsterdam IJburg an apartment complex is being built. The building in Eersel is getting a commercial purpose. They will be replaced by 160 fiber exchanges, which take up perhaps a tenth of the space of one copper exchange.”

‘We are already saving more than 440,000 kWh a year in the six pilot areas alone. That’s enough to power an average street in a residential neighborhood for a year.’

Why is fiber more energy efficient?
Jort “Light rather than electricity travels through fiber. It is not only a much more compact technology, but also one that consumes much less power. We’re already saving more than 440,000 kWh a year in the six pilot areas alone. That’s enough to power an average street in a residential neighborhood for a year.”

What is the biggest challenge of ‘Fiber on, Copper out’?
Jort: “Technically, what we’re doing is new. We are, of course, used to building and connecting networks, not switching them off. ‘Fiber on, Copper out’ heralds a new era in this regard: the era of fiber. It is certainly just as challenging to provide timely information to consumers, business customers, and wholesale buyers. Everyone has to participate in this, that’s a prerequisite for success. In the vast majority of cases, customers won’t notice the copper network being switched off, because they are already connected to fiber. But we are dealing with such large numbers that there is always something that needs fixing. We have gained experience with this in the six pilot areas, which will be valuable when we turn off the copper network at 2.3 million addresses in 2023.”

‘In general, customers experience fiber as an improvement to their home’

What do customers think of fiber?
Jort: “In general, customers experience fiber as an improvement to their home, even when the speed remains the same. Customers are generally enthusiastic about fiber. It is the technology of the future.”

What is it like to be able to work on the ‘Fiber on, Copper out’ program?
Jort: “Special, because with ‘Fiber on, Copper out’ we are really entering the digital age and leaving the analog era behind us. It is the combination of technology and customer aspects that makes me enthusiastic every day.”

KPN’s fiber ambitions

KPN has announced that it will have connected approximately 65% of Dutch households to fiber by 2025. KPN is achieving this by connecting approximately 500,000 addresses to fiber every year, especially in urban areas. With the recently announced collaboration with ABP, more than 900,000 addresses in villages and business parks will be connected to fiber in the coming years. Consequently, approximately 80% of Dutch homes will have a fiber connection from KPN, or via the ABP collaboration, by the end of 2026.