ADTRAN, a provider of open networking solutions, announced its gigabit-capable 2nd generation G.fast Distribution Point Units (DPUs) that is set to install underground throughout Australia. This installation will occur as NBN Co readies the country’s national broadband access network (nbn).
“NBN is setting a global standard for advanced Gigabit Society infrastructure by designing and implementing a nationwide broadband network using multiple next-generation technologies, including G.fast, to scale to gigabit service rates and beyond,” ADTRAN EMEA/APAC Chief Technology Officer Ronan Kelly said. “ADTRAN is proud to be a partner in this exciting project, which has shown how the nbn – in eight short years – has already contributed significantly to the economy and social wellbeing of millions of Australians.”
In response to this project, ADTRAN has shipped hundreds of thousands of G.fast ports. G.fast offers fiber-service extension technology while using existing wired infrastructure. This allows ADTRAN to bring higher broadband speeds to customers by linking large capacity fiber networks to homes and businesses.
Currently, the first G.fast DPUs are being installed in Sydney, which will begin the newest phase of the wholesale nbn that hopes to develop by 2020. According to NBN Chief Network Engineering Officer Peter Ryan, this will be the first network in the world that delivers high speeds of broadband via in-ground G.fast DPUs.
“ADTRAN is a valued strategic partner for nbn and has played a key role helping nbn meet our deployment goals to evolve our network,” Ryan said. “I am very pleased that we are taking this next step together on our journey of delivering cutting-edge technology to Australians with our first deployment of ADTRAN G.fast technology onto the nbn FTTC network. Having this technology in the ground today gives us additional flexibility to meet end-user demand as it evolves.”
Ryan explained a few of the benefits of G.fast in a blog, and delved into details on why it is important to deploy this technology for the future of Australia and for the preparation of gigabit-capable networks.
ADTRAN’s G.fast solutions conforms with the Amendment 3 of the ITU-T G.fast standard, which also doubles the amount of spectrum available from 106 MHz to 212 MHZ. It also reduces the power consumption for more cost effective reverse power feeding. Additionally, Amendment 3 provides G.fast with an aggregated bandwidth of two Gbps, delivering fiber-like speeds for applications that leverage existing phone or cable television wiring infrastructure. This increase of capacity also allows for additional deployment flexibility for operators, since G.fast-based services can now be delivered to locations where they may need to coexist with existing VDSL2 services.