Evolving access networks: a European perspective

The diversity of telecommunications markets and access network infrastructure among the countries of Europe is a complicating factor in the development of effective standards for Europe's future access networks. The need for evolving access networks to make efficient use of a wide variety of existing infrastructure may at times conflict with the long-term requirement for a stable platform of self-consistent standards which allow future-proof evolution. In light of these constraints, the authors summarize progress made in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) toward standards for future access networks.