EU Parliament visits Prysmian Douvrin, Europe’s largest fibre plant

PRYSMIAN

A cross-party group of MEPs recently visited Europe’s largest and most modern site for the production of optical fibre in Douvrin, France. Prysmian Group offered the visitors a guided tour of the state-of-the-art facilities and discussed ICT investment, forecast data demand and the connection between fibre and 5G.

Philippe Vanhille

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, TELECOM, PRYSMIAN GROUP

The EU’s Digital Single Market strategy places the availability of reliable, trustworthy and high-performance networks firmly at the centre of its vision. However, the outcome of the European Commission’s upcoming telecommunications review will determine whether Europe develops a high performing telecommunications network. It is essential that the Commission places the appropriate emphasis on modernising the telecoms framework and creating favourable conditions for investment in next generation telecoms networks.

Demand for data in Europe is expected to rapidly expand in the coming years, driven by developments such as the Internet of Things, media sharing and autonomous driving. Techniques such as vectoring applied to legacy copper networks may in the short-term be able to provide a response to this consumer demand. But Prysmian is eager to explain to the European Commission that fibre is the only way ahead.

Networks of the future

“Prysmian’s presentation of optical fibre technology impressed on me that this is the foundation for the telecoms networks of the future,” said Austrian MEP Paul Rübig (EPP). “As Chair of the Parliament’s Science and Technology Options Assessment Panel, I am keenly aware that I and my fellow European legislators have a responsibility to educate ourselves on the issues surrounding the transition to this technology and understand how we can best facilitate it.”

MEP Dominique Riquet (ALDE, FR), President of the Intergroup on Long Term Investment and Reindustrialisation, noted: “In the long run a shift to optical fibre is essential to meet this exploding demand and ensure that Europe’s telecoms networks are future-proof.” MEP Flavio Zanonato (S&D, IT) commented: “There are, of course, challenges associated with the move to optical fibre. For example in terms of the level of investment required. However we should not lose sight of the positive vision that this will facilitate, from 5G to the gigabit society”. (Commissioner Oettinger recently claimed 5G mobile is not possible without the widespread roll-out of optical fibre.)

“As a leading multinational which manufactures state-of-the art products in Europe for Europe, Prysmian Group is proud to contribute to the realisation of this vision”, concluded Philippe Vanhille, Senior Vice President of Prysmian’s Telecoms Business. “Prysmian has recently been active in promoting the improvement of networks in Europe, and in particular supporting the European Union’s objective of a thriving digital economy and society. Fibre-based, ultra-high-speed access network technologies play a unique role in achieving an effective framework that will meet the increasing need of high-bandwidth quality. This is a fundamental building block for achieving the targets of the Digital Agenda for Europe by 2020 and bringing broadband to all EU citizens, including rural areas.”

PRYSMIAN PLANT DOUVRIN, FRANCE

With a total plant area of 155,000 m² and 348 employees, the Douvrin facility is the biggest European plant for fibre optic production. Prysmian Group works with all existing manufacturing processes, including its proprietary plasma vapour deposition technologies. This plant produces 25M km of fibre preforms annually, part of which is drawn into fibre on site. The remainder is exported and drawn elsewhere.

The EU’s Digital Single Market strategy places the availability of reliable, trustworthy and high-performance networks firmly at the centre of its vision. However, the outcome of the European Commission’s upcoming telecommunications review will determine whether Europe develops a high performing telecommunications network. It is essential that the Commission places the appropriate emphasis on modernising the telecoms framework and creating favourable conditions for investment in next generation telecoms networks.

Demand for data in Europe is expected to rapidly expand in the coming years, driven by developments such as the Internet of Things, media sharing and autonomous driving. Techniques such as vectoring applied to legacy copper networks may in the short-term be able to provide a response to this consumer demand. But Prysmian is eager to explain to the European Commission that fibre is the only way ahead.

Networks of the future

“Prysmian’s presentation of optical fibre technology impressed on me that this is the foundation for the telecoms networks of the future,” said Austrian MEP Paul Rübig (EPP). “As Chair of the Parliament’s Science and Technology Options Assessment Panel, I am keenly aware that I and my fellow European legislators have a responsibility to educate ourselves on the issues surrounding the transition to this technology and understand how we can best facilitate it.”

MEP Dominique Riquet (ALDE, FR), President of the Intergroup on Long Term Investment and Reindustrialisation, noted: “In the long run a shift to optical fibre is essential to meet this exploding demand and ensure that Europe’s telecoms networks are future-proof.” MEP Flavio Zanonato (S&D, IT) commented: “There are, of course, challenges associated with the move to optical fibre. For example in terms of the level of investment required. However we should not lose sight of the positive vision that this will facilitate, from 5G to the gigabit society”. (Commissioner Oettinger recently claimed 5G mobile is not possible without the widespread roll-out of optical fibre.)

“As a leading multinational which manufactures state-of-the art products in Europe for Europe, Prysmian Group is proud to contribute to the realisation of this vision”, concluded Philippe Vanhille, Senior Vice President of Prysmian’s Telecoms Business. “Prysmian has recently been active in promoting the improvement of networks in Europe, and in particular supporting the European Union’s objective of a thriving digital economy and society. Fibre-based, ultra-high-speed access network technologies play a unique role in achieving an effective framework that will meet the increasing need of high-bandwidth quality. This is a fundamental building block for achieving the targets of the Digital Agenda for Europe by 2020 and bringing broadband to all EU citizens, including rural areas.”