Editing Access network (section)

==Telephone heritage==
An access network, also referred to as an [[outside plant]], refers to the series of wires, cables and equipment lying between a consumer/business telephone termination point (the point at which a telephone connection reaches the customer) and the local [[telephone exchange]]. The local exchange contains banks of automated switching equipment which direct a call or connection to the consumer. The access network is perhaps one of the oldest assets a telecoms operator would own.

In 2007–2008 many telecommunication operators experienced increasing problems maintaining the quality of the records which describe the network.{{citation needed |date= October 2016}} In 2006, according to an independent [[Yankee Group]] report, globally operators experience profit leakage in excess of $17 billion each year.{{citation needed |date= August 2011}}

The access network is also perhaps the most valuable asset an operator owns since this is what physically allows them to offer a service.

Access networks consist largely of pairs of [[copper conductor|copper wires]], each traveling in a direct path between the exchange and the customer. In some instances, these wires may even consist of [[aluminum]], which was commonly used in the 1960s and 1970s following a massive increase in the cost of copper. The price increase was temporary, but the effects of this decision are still felt today as [[electromigration]] within the aluminum wires can cause an increase in on-state resistance. This resistance causes degradation which can eventually lead to the complete failure of the wire to transport data.

Access is essential to the future profitability of operators who are experiencing massive reductions in revenue from [[plain old telephone service]]s, due in part to the opening of historically nationalized companies to competition, and in part to increased use of [[mobile phone]]s and [[voice over IP]] (VoIP) services. Operators offered additional services such as [[xDSL]] based broadband and IPTV ([[Internet Protocol television]]) to guarantee profit. The access network is again the main barrier to achieving these profits since operators worldwide have accurate records of only 40% to 60% of the network. Without understanding or even knowing the characteristics of these enormous copper spider webs, it is very difficult, and expensive to 'provision' (connect) new customers and assure the data rates required to receive next-generation services.{{citation needed |date= August 2011}}

Access networks around the world evolved to include more and more optical fiber technology. Optical fiber already makes up the majority of core networks and will start to creep closer and closer to the customer, until a full transition is achieved, delivering value-added services over [[fiber to the home]] (FTTH).