China Unicom Hebei: Accelerating FTTO Commercialization to Lead Livestreaming Industry

In recent years, the livestreaming e-commerce industry has grown rapidly. By 2022, China boasted 660 million online livestreaming users and 1.704 million livestreaming-related enterprises. Over the past four years, the average annual registration growth rate for these enterprises has exceeded 90%. In the first five months of 2024 alone, 347,000 new enterprises were registered.

Many of these enterprises are in urgent need of digitalization, but traditional ad-hoc networks lack scientific design, effective deployment, and reliable operation and maintenance (O&M). This leads to three main challenges: poor Wi-Fi experience (characterized by high latency, prone to stuttering, and dropped calls), an insufficient number of devices, and difficulties in network O&M. These issues raise operational costs and create barriers to digital and intelligent transformation for these enterprises.

During the final of the 2024 “Guanghua Cup” Gigabit Optical Network Application Innovation Competition, the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) and the three major Chinese operators jointly launched the “All-Optical Network Development for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises” initiative at the “Digital Transformation Forum for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises”. This initiative aims to drive innovation and progress in fiber-to-the-office (FTTO) technologies and integrated applications, facilitating the digital transformation of these enterprises.

The livestreaming e-commerce business is booming in Hebei province. To meet the high demand for basic network infrastructure, one-stop networking solution and one-off network deployment have become priorities for China Unicom Hebei. At the FTTO press conference themed “Empowering livestreaming E-commerce to Enhance Economy”, the operator is committed to leading the way in gigabit optical network construction. They aim to identify pain points in the transformation of livestreaming enterprises in the province, focus on operational services, leverage their integration advantages, and launch FTTO all-optical intelligent enterprise networking products.

To build an enterprise network with larger bandwidth, more connections, and lower latency, the FTTO all-optical intelligent enterprise solution offers stable and reliable livestreaming optical network services tailored to the development characteristics of local livestreaming enterprises. This “one-stop” solution empowers all enterprises to achieve digital transformation through a digital and intelligent optical network, injecting new momentum into the rapid growth of the digital economy in the province.

China Unicom Hebei worked with ZTE to accelerate the commercial use of FTTO. In the initial phase, both parties addressed all key value areas with 10G PON ports, establishing a strong foundation for FTTO deployment at the system side. The operator also supplied an integrated package suitable for livestreaming scenarios, supporting ultra-gigabit Wi-Fi and enabling 300 concurrent connections for multi-person livestreaming in enterprise networks.

The ZTE FTTO all-optical livestreaming solution multiplexes the operator’s PON resources, extending fibers to every corner of an enterprise based on a simplified all-optical network architecture. It incorporates new Wi-Fi 6 technologies to provide full coverage of the enterprise intranet, delivering an end-to-end all-optical network. This solution enables high concurrency, smooth and seamless roaming, and enhanced network visibility, manageability, testability, and optimization. With advantages such as fast deployment, high quality, and easy O&M, it ensures an ultra-gigabit wireless office experience for livestreaming enterprises.

• Fast deployment: The FTTO solution uses an all-fiber network, with photoelectric composite cables that support both data transport and device power supply. Wi-Fi devices can be configured as needed, allowing for quicker fiber routing. The FTTR main ONT consolidates five functions—ONT, router, AC controller, IAD, and switch—resulting in a 75% reduction in device size compared to traditional solutions, which simplifies and accelerates the networking process.
• High quality: Utilizing fibers and 160 MHz Wi-Fi 6 technology, the FTTO solution supports an ultra-gigabit Wi-Fi experience. It delivers dedicated acceleration channels for office applications such as conferences and livestreaming, prioritizing bandwidth usage for VIP applications to ensure a smooth office network without lag. By adopting the C system architecture of China Unicom’s innovative smart home products, it deeply integrates optical and Wi-Fi technologies for intelligent scheduling of Wi-Fi air interface resources. This integration ensures that up to 300 terminals can access the Internet simultaneously and stably. By combining smart antennas, the solution provides full coverage in the office area and seamless network switching during movement, securing network stability for typical livestreaming scenarios with multi-device concurrency, such as walking, standing, and seated livestreaming.
• Easy O&M: The FTTO solution incorporates broadband private lines, network design, installation, deployment, and O&M services, offering professional O&M support and user applications. It enables IT personnel from enterprises and operators to efficiently manage network status with one-click viewing and management tools. Additionally, it provides a portable network management app for livestreaming enterprises, allowing for convenient self-management (Fig. 1).The FTTO solution can establish a production network with ultra-high bandwidth, high security, reliability, deterministic performance, and minimalist architecture. Building on this foundation, it integrates network, security, cloud, accounting, and video services, significantly enhancing production efficiency, boosting enterprise vitality, reducing costs, and unlocking new business opportunities. 

The FTTO solution can establish a production network with ultra-high bandwidth, high security, reliability, deterministic performance, and minimalist architecture. Building on this foundation, it integrates network, security, cloud, accounting, and video services, significantly enhancing production efficiency, boosting enterprise vitality, reducing costs, and unlocking new business opportunities.