Viewpoint
Cyndi Smith, senior industry marketing director for Bentley Systems, reports on how the company helped Mexican provider IZZI bring triple play services to 8 million more customers with a network designed using Bentley applications
Telecom Giant Takes Fiber Deep
Televisa’s telecommunications division is a leader in the Mexico market, providing digital cable TV, digital telephone, and high-speed internet to homes and businesses through its subsidiary, IZZI Telecom. As part of a fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) initiative that improved and expanded triple play services provided by the IZZI brands, Cablevisión and Cablemás, IZZI completed a USD 48.5 million reconstruction and expansion of the fiber optic network serving Santiago de Querétaro (Querétaro City), a dynamic metropolitan area in central Mexico. The project team mapped existing infrastructure in Bentley Map, then designed a modified network with Fiber Deep architecture in Bentley Coax and Bentley Fiber. The Bentley Communications applications reduced IZZI’s overall design time and costs by up to 25 percent and enabled the team to complete the project ahead of schedule.
Antiquation Inhibits Expansion
Founded in the mid 1960s, Cablevisión and Cablemás provided telecommunications services to more than 7.5 million customers over a network covering more than 100,000 kilometers. The network combined fiber optic and hybrid fiber-coaxial technology, allowing the companies to offer varied products and services in an effort to stay competitive. In 2014, IZZI replaced the Cablevisión brand nationwide and in 2015 absorbed Cablemás in Mexico’s interior. Under the IZZI brand umbrella, the two service providers formed a strategic alliance to modify and extend their antiquated networks using the most current technology available. Their goal was to provide customers with premium quality services for at least the next 20 years.
IZZI’s initiative called for the total reconstruction of the Cablevisión and Cablemás networks and the rollout of triple play services to millions of new customers throughout Mexico. Santiago de Querétaro, one of the fastest growing cities in Mexico and the capital of the state of Querétaro, was one of the first service areas targeted for the upgrade. The challenge was to implement a Fiber Deep architecture that pushed fiber closer to customers in order to deliver the best service in central Mexico. In addition, the project team needed to design a network infrastructure capable of reaching the dense metro-area population of more than 1 million people at competitive rates.
Intelligent Network Model
IZZI’s project team began by reviewing current services in the area and determining the health of the existing network. This information provided a starting point in determining next steps and what type of architecture to apply. Bentley communications applications were used to create an end-to-end network model with integrated design and documentation of the inside and outside plant. IZZI specified the use of latest generation equipment to achieve performance goals for bandwidth, data transfer rates, network availability, and Internet speeds for each customer.
Based on information gathered from a survey of existing infrastructure, the project team used Bentley Map to digitize the area maps, street layouts, and addresses for residences, businesses, and commercial buildings. The team designed and documented the new coaxial network with Bentley Coax, implementing the latest active and passive equipment. Then the team traced the corresponding fiber optic routes using Bentley Fiber. Field checks ensured that the network design conformed to field characteristics before documents were sent to the construction team.
Bentley Comms Boost Productivity
IZZI saved significant time by using Bentley applications to complete verified layouts in a rich GIS environment, then build a precise end-to-end network model. The common design environment allowed work with remote personnel and third-party contractors to be conducted more efficiently; the near real-time engineering calculations updated automatically in response to layout changes by any authorized party. Real-time access to remote information and data allowed documentation to be generated instantly, eliminating delays.
Overall, Bentley’s network engineering software succeeded in making design personnel 10 percent more productive in comparison to the previous software IZZI had utilized. As a result of using Bentley communications applications, the Santiago de Querétaro project team met an ambitious schedule’s tight deadlines and completed the project earlier than expected.
25 Percent Lower Design Costs
By forming a strategic alliance to upgrade their network technology under the IZZI brand umbrella, Cablevisión and Cablemás extended premium quality triple play services to 8 million new customers, plus the 7.5 million existing customers. Bentley technology contributed to lowering design costs by 25 percent because of a streamlined design process and the production of accurate documents from the intelligent network model. Consequently, construction time and costs were reduced and logistics were simplified.
The expanded network not only reached more customers but also offered a wider range of products and services to more households and businesses in Santiago de Querétaro. Superior customer service also came alongside these services due to the sophisticated network technology. The Bentley communications applications enabled IZZI to efficiently manage its network with a unified model of inside and outside plants. These improvements enhanced customer satisfaction and reduced the number of service cancellations.
