Cable giant puts VDSL2 to the test

VDSL2 promises upstream speeds of 25Mbit/s and downstream speeds of 50Mbit/s

Cable operator NTL has demonstrated VDSL2 business broadband technology and announced a new partnership with GSM access vendor IP.access to develop low-power GSM for fixed-mobile convergence systems.

NTL said VDSL2 should be able to achieve upstream speeds of 25Mbit/s and downstream speeds of 50Mbit/s. The demonstration we saw at NTL's London laboratories gave downstream speeds of 48Mbit/s and upstream speeds of 18Mbit/s with an Ericsson VDSL2 digital subscriber line access module (DSLAM) and a Broadcom VDSL2 modem.

NTL also announced a small-scale trial of the systems in Guildford, Hampshire.
"The basic question is, can we deliver fibre-like capabilities using copper that are equivalent to those available from a leased-line portfolio?" commented
Kevin Baughan, NTL's director of network strategy.

He added that NTL's new technology would be able to connect businesses to metropolitan Ethernet systems.

NTL is working with IP.access in anticipation of Ofcom's auction of paired 3.3MHz bands of GSM/ GPRS/Edge spectrum, which were retained for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephone (Dect) but are not needed for that purpose any more. This spectrum will be sold through seven to 12 concurrent licences.

NTL said this raises a business opportunity to use IP.access pico cell access points (APs) – which have a range of about 50m – routed to a wireless PBX, which any GSM mobile could use, and the broadband backhaul costs would be marginal.