Alcatel Lucent’s Bell Labs is likely trying to wring life out of the dying traditional copper infrastructure as it has achieved 10Gbps broadband speed using “XG-FAST” prototype technology.
Researchers demonstrated the results, achieved by bonding 2 pairs of standard copper lines of over 30 meters, to show how to deliver 1Gbps symmetrical ultra-broadband access services using the existing networks.
To deliver “a major breakthrough for copper broadband,” the company has adopted the extension of advanced DSL G.fast standard – XG-FAST prototype during the trails that will allow network operators to provide speeds equivalent to fibre to the home services.
The frequency range used in G.fast is 106MHz and under phase 1, a maximum speed of 700Mbps over 100 metres has been set as the industry standard, while in phase 2 it’s 1.25Gbps over 70 metres. XG-Fast, which uses a frequency range of up to 500MHz, was able to reach 2Gbps speeds, or 1Gbps symmetrical, over 70 meters.
Alcatel Lucent’s fixed networks president Federico Guillén said in a statement that the XG-Fast technology would accelerate FttH deployments.
He admitted that the speeds were slower with the length of the copper lines and that there are other significant factors influencing the speed including the quality, thickness and the cross-talk between adjacent cables.
Guillén said that with XG-Fast technology, network operators can take fibre “very close to customers” without any major expense or delays. He added that Bell Labs has paved a new way to ensure customers are provided with ultra-broadband access, by making “1 gigabit symmetrical services over copper a real possibility.”
Bell Labs president Marcus Weldon said that the trail was aimed at showing how existing network infrastructure cam be utilised by operators and added that operators can determine how to deliver gigabit services ensuring the availability of ultra-broadband access widely as well as economically, pushing the broadband technology to its limits.
