The NBN’s Goldilocks technology of fibre to the distribution point (FttDP) — sitting just right in between the convenience of fibre to the node (FttN) and the speed of fibre to the premises (FttP) — is a step closer to becoming a reality in Australia. NBN calls the tech ‘fibre to the curb’ (FttC) for some unknown reason, rather than FttDP or fibre to the driveway, but it’s earmarked Australia’s own Netcomm Wireless as the supplier of tech for the future network build-out.
NBN’s FTTC is planned for a launch in 2018, and Netcomm has been signed on to supply an as-yet unspecified number of distribution point units, or DPUs, that will sit in the telco pits in streets outside Aussie homes and connect their copper telephone wires to the fibre optic cable being rolled out through the suburbs that will receive FTTC.
Where fibre to the node can deliver 100/40Mbps under only the most ideal conditions using VDSL, VDSL on fibre to the curb will hit those speeds far more consistently and will offer the headroom to implement faster technologies and network standards like G.fast and XG.FAST with exponentially more bandwidth than FTTN.
FTTC will apparently be used in areas where FTTN and FTTP are unsuitable for the NBN’s rollout — primarily outer suburban and semi-rural areas, around 700,000 around the country — including some parts covered by Optus’ abandoned pay TV network. [NBN]
This article originally appeared on Gizmodo Australia
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