In open-access fiber-to-the-building (FTTB) environments, tenants expect freedom of choice — to sign up, cancel, or change Internet providers instantly. Yet today, every change often means a technician with a patch cord in a basement cabinet. That model doesn’t scale. With robotic optical switching, a single platform can connect dozens of apartments to multiple Internet service providers (ISPs) without any manual patching — enabling true plug-and-play broadband in multi-dwelling units (MDUs).
The Challenge: Manual Patching Slows Open Access
Open-access regulation in many countries now mandates that MDU fiber infrastructure support multiple ISPs. While the policy expands customer choice, it burdens operators with constant physical re-patching.
Each time a tenant switches providers, a field technician must visit the site, locate the right port, and manually move the fiber jumper. Every touch risks errors, downtime, and costly “truck rolls.”
For a 64-unit building served by three ISPs, that could mean hundreds of physical patch changes per year. The process is slow, error-prone, and expensive — the opposite of the instant, digital experience customers expect.
The Solution: Robotic Switching for Multi-Tenant Fiber
XENOptics’ Multi-Dwelling Smart Optical Switch (MSOS) replaces manual patch fields with a robotic 64 × 3 optical matrix, allowing any apartment to connect to any of three ISPs in seconds.
- 50-second provisioning: A remote operator (or even the tenant portal) can switch a connection from one provider to another in under a minute — no on-site work, no downtime.
- Zero-touch operation: Once installed, all configuration and maintenance happen remotely through the NOC using secure API or SNMP interfaces. stay intact even during power loss or field maintenance; the switch draws power only while changing states.
- Centralized management: Integrated monitoring and OTDR support allow remote fault isolation — operators can test, reconfigure, and confirm service health from headquarters.
The MSOS architecture uses a Main Manipulator Unit to physically align and latch optical connectors within the 64 × 3 matrix. The design guarantees precise, repeatable connections and maintains live traffic even if local power fails — a critical requirement for GPON and open-access networks.
Enabling a True Multi-Provider Building
A single MSOS unit supports up to 64 apartments and three service providers simultaneously . The result is a “wire-once” topology: during installation, each apartment and ISP fiber is permanently connected to the switch, and all future cross-connects are executed robotically.
- Tenant onboarding: When a new tenant signs up, the ISP triggers a connection through the management portal — activation in < 50 seconds.
- Provider switch: If a tenant changes ISPs, the system re-routes the optical path automatically, ensuring seamless transition.
- Diagnostics and maintenance: The NOC can initiate an OTDR test or reroute traffic around a damaged fiber remotely, eliminating most field visits.
This automation model dramatically reduces operational costs and customer churn delays while supporting regulatory open-access requirements.
Economics and Sustainability
Automating FTTB fiber switching delivers quantifiable savings:
| Impact Area | Manual FTTB | With MSOS Robotic Switch |
|---|---|---|
| Service activation | 1–3 days (manual scheduling) | < 50 s remote provisioning |
| Technician visits | 100 + per year (typical MDU) | Near-zero – managed remotely |
| Downtime risk | Human-error patching | Zero-touch, logged changes |
| Power use | Continuous (active gear) | Passive latch; 6 W idle, < 0.5 W sleep |
| ROI | > 3 years typical | 12–18 months |
Beyond cost, automation supports sustainability goals. Each avoided truck roll eliminates emissions, and the low-power passive design aligns with EU and U.S. carbon-reporting standards.
Why It Matters
For service providers and building owners, robotic FTTB switching turns a regulatory challenge into a competitive advantage.
- Speed: Cut subscriber activation from days to seconds.
- Savings: Eliminate most on-site maintenance.
- Reliability: Keep services live during power or maintenance events.
- Compliance: Support open-access frameworks transparently.
It’s a practical blueprint for modern broadband delivery: one cabinet, three providers, 64 apartments — and zero downtime.