Broadband networks ‘may be wrongly valued by up to 20%’

UK broadband provider’s valuation of their networks may be off by up to 20% because they don’t have the right oversight of their networks, claims Digpro.

The assertion made by software firm Digpro is that the telco industry’s approach to designing, building and operating a fibre network can result in ‘poorer quality’ of data being gathered, ‘because of the multiple systems that are used across the network lifecycle.’ It also claims what it describes as a lack of an integrated network information system can cause delays to build and lost revenue.

Ultimately it says that said ‘inefficient data collection’ can lead to inaccurate network potential valuations and estimates of how much capital is required to build a network, which can lead to valuation estimations being off by of up to 20% – both under or over.

The firm claims the solution is creating digital twins of the network. Digital twins are like virtual replications that act as a kind of simulation that can be fed data and modelled, and is used in various industrial settings such as factories where efficiency is a high priority. It should be noted Digpro appears to sell such systems to various sectors.

“The traditional approach to the lifecycle management of a network is silo based,” said Digpro’s Joel Pirard. “This means different people, sometimes from different companies, are using different systems throughout the lifecycle. This process is error prone, lacks efficiency, and lowers the quality of the data for every step. To avoid this, companies should embrace a Digital Twin for their network. A Digital Twin creates a simulated replica of the network and can provide much of the information that investors, for example, would want to know.”

“To avoid this, companies should embrace a Digital Twin for their network. A Digital Twin creates a simulated replica of the network and can provide much of the information that investors, for example, would want to know. The network model, and the Digital Twin created from it, is the heart of the fibre network business. It is incredibly useful for all sizes of suppliers, from the largest national companies to the smaller more local businesses, as well as regional alt nets. With the Digital Twin, UK broadband providers will not only be able to estimate what the network is worth today, but also how much it will be worth in the future”

There is at this moment in time a hell of a lot of investment activity going on the UK fibre space, with millions being pumped into the many fibrecos currently laying pipe across the country. Obviously accuracy with regards to predicted outcomes of said investment is going to be sought after – though whether the answer is digital twin systems or something else probably depends on who you ask and what they are selling.

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