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BT claims almost-gigabit connections over COPPER WIRE

Just need to bring the fibre box within 19m ...

BT has claimed that ultrafast modern broadband can be delivered using a decidedly old school method: copper wires.

The telco has released research which found that combined downstream and upstream speeds of up to one Gigabit per second (1000 Mbps) is possible using a mix of fibre and copper.

It admitted that many folk assumed that these sort of speeds could only be achieved by running fibreoptic cable all the way from an exchange to wherever an internet connection was needed, which it said was a "expensive, disruptive and time consuming process".

BT hailed its research as proof of the potential of the snappily named Fibre To The Distribution Point (FTTdp) or G.FAST technology. Currently, most of BT's customers are supplied by Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), an expensive method where high speed cable is laid all the way to where it is needed, and Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC), where comparatively lengthy oldschool copper connections link a fibre-connected exchange to a home or business. With G.FAST/FTTdp, the fibre would reach closer to the end user and the final short copper link could thus be a lot faster - and BT still wouldn't need to expensively take the fibre all the way into houses and offices.

BT is now planning to study the technology at a new ultrafast broadband lab at its Adastral Park R&D centre in Ipswich.

Dr Tim Whitley, MD of Research and Innovation, BT Group said: “We see G.FAST as a very promising technology with significant potential – that’s why we’re putting some of our best minds on the case to assess it fully in a purpose-built facility."

During the G.FAST trials, researchers achieved downstream speeds of around 800Mbps over a 19m length of copper and upstream speeds of more than 200Mbps. Speeds of around 700/200Mbps were also achieved over longer 66m lines.

Of course, the other group of people who love copper are thieves, who love nothing more than nicking cables to sell off to dodgy metal traders. Earlier this year, BT suffered a nationwide outage after thieves severed the telecoms giant's fibre cable in an effort to nick copper wiring. ®

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