Metropolitan area network

Porto Digital owns and manages a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), which covers most of the city of Porto. It is an optical fiber communications infrastructure, which provides low-cost and free broadband connection to several sites at the city, in particular, to the Municipality of Porto, local administration companies and authorities, hospitals, universities and polytechnic institutes, R&D facilities, museums, the police and other public institutions.

The MAN comprises a backbone, a distribution network and an access network. The backbone comprises a ring network made of 48 fibers with a length of 23 km and 5 points-of-presence (PoPs), and has a 10 Gigabit Ethernet connection. The distribution network comprises 9 sub-rings with a length of 89 km, and has a 10 Gigabit Ethernet connection. The access network connects 245 sites, has a length of 83 km of fiber and has a up to 1 Gigabit Ethernet connection.

The network has a high degree of redundancy and is equipped with IP/MPLS/VPLS equipment.

Between 2003 and 2008, Porto Digital designed and deployed the most significant part of the network, which was co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and national funds

Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON)

Porto Digital also owns and manages a Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) with RF Overlay. The network is based on a FTTH/FTTB topology, and provides digital TV broadcasting to social housing complexes at the city. In the near future, it will also provide other city services, like telemetry and emergency services.

This service started in 2009, and is now available at 5969 houses, distributed by 576 entrances of 15 social housing complexes (Aldoar, Campinas, Carriçal, Carvalhido, Fernão de Magalhães, Fonte da Moura, Francos, Lagarteiro, Lordelo, Outeiro, Parceria Antunes, Pinheiro Torres, Pio XII, Regado and São Roque da Lameira).