BT's broadband access relationship with Huawei goes even deeper.

October 21, 2013

2 Min Read
BT Trials Huawei's G.fast for FTTx

BT is to trial cutting-edge broadband access technology from Huawei as it takes the next step on its journey to full fiber-to-the-home (FTTH).

The technology in question is G.fast, an emerging ITU standard technology (G.9700) that promises speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s over the copper connection to a broadband user's premises.

BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA) noted recently that it would be scoping out the potential of G.fast as part of its fiber-to-the-distribution point (FTTdp) plans: FTTdp is the next step on from FTTC, taking the physical fiber even closer to the end user but still utilizing the copper tails already in place.

The British incumbent outlined its fixed-broadband plans at the recent ECOC conference in London, noting that the next step on from its current widespread fiber-to-the-curb/cabinet (FTTC) rollout would be fiber-to-the-distribution point (FTTdp), which takes its physical fiber plant even closer to end users. (See BT Preps Its Next FTTx, Core Moves.)

Now BT is taking that technology into a field trial, a move that strengthens its ties with Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. , the dominant technology supplier to the UK operator's fixed broadband access network deployments. (See BT Trials Huawei's G.fast Tech.)

The trial is taking place close to BT's Adastral Park R&D center near Ipswich, UK, and involves the deployment of G.fast line cards in underground distribution points. Huawei notes that the theoretical speed of up to 1 Gbit/s downstream is possible over copper connections of up to 100 meters, but that G.fast is suitable for deployments where the final copper tail is up to 250 meters in length.

BT's access network is well suited to G.fast deployments, as the operator has about 4 million distribution points that are suitable for FTTdp rollouts.

The big questions, though, are not whether this technology works, but: whether BT will (or can) use it to take very high speed broadband to rural areas; how this technology can be made available on a wholesale/competitive basis to service providers other than BT Retail; and whether a successful deployment of FTTdp might mean that BT can delay even further (or altogether) any plans for the mass deployment of FTTH.

— Ray Le Maistre, Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

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