Copper has had its day – Switzerland is switching over.
After around 150 years, the era of the copper network in Switzerland is coming to an end. The existing copper network is gradually being dismantled and replaced by modern optical fibre technology.
The reasons are obvious:
- higher performance
- fewer faults
- significantly lower energy needs
Dispensing with copper alone saves around 100 GWh of electricity per year. This corresponds to the annual consumption of a town with 20,000 inhabitants.
The optical fibre expansion is progressing steadily. By 2030, around 75 to 80 per cent of Switzerland should be covered by optical fibre, rising to up to 90 per cent by 2035.
A small proportion of today's copper connections will not be connected with optical fibre. These connections are predominantly located outside of residential areas. In future, coverage there will be ensured by high-performance mobile radio and satellite technologies.
Out with copper – in with the future.
A new dimension in cable removal.
As a leading network construction company, cablex is undertaking a large share of the dismantling work throughout Switzerland. It is a complex task: Instead of laying cables, several kilometres of copper cables have to be identified, exposed and expertly pulled out of the duct systems. Depending on its diameter, a copper cable weighs between 8 and 20 kg per metre. Manual labour is nowhere near strong enough to remove the cables. Wherever possible, classic cable pulling machines are used to pull out the cables and then cut them into transportable pieces using a special cutter. For the dismantling of large copper cables, cablex uses specialist cable pulling vehicles with hydraulic reels and a tractive force of 5 to 6 tonnes. A cable pulling team can move several tonnes per day in this way. Heavy manhole covers, tight spaces and limited accessibility make the work even more difficult. Authorisations from property owners can also influence the schedule.
From east to west: assignments throughout Switzerland.
Copper cables are only being dismantled where FTTH (fibre to the home) is already in place. cablex is completing removal operations stretching from Lake Constance to Geneva. While the first dismantling phase mainly related to rural areas, activities are now moving closer to densely built-up centres and main shafts. Copper cables consist of a solid copper core and a protective lead sheath – both valuable raw materials. After removal, they are handed over to Swisscom's recycling partner and professionally recycled and reutilised.
A contribution to Switzerland's digital future.
By removing the old copper lines, bottlenecks in the duct systems are eliminated and existing routes are made usable for new optical fibre cables – without having to build additional infrastructure. In this way, cablex is making a decisive contribution to utilising Switzerland's network infrastructure more efficiently, making it more sustainable and equipping it for the digital future. The dismantling work is being carried out precisely, responsibly and in the interests of an efficient, future-proof optical fibre network.
