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A promising new ultrafast broadband technology that uses existing copper infrastructure has entered field trials in the UK and could deliver launch speeds up to 330 Mbps, with the potential to reach 500 Mbps as the technology matures over the coming decade.
The technology, known as G.Fast, has begun a field trial in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Around two thousand homes and businesses are expected to take part in BT’s initial trial phase. If results are positive, BT plans to extend trials to Gosforth in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Swansea starting in September.
Joe Garner, CEO of Openreach, said this marks “the start of a new chapter in building Britain’s connected future.” He described the trial as the largest G.Fast deployment in the world, building on pioneering research from BT’s R&D teams.
BT previously ran an early G.Fast trial in 2013 at its Adastral Park research facility near Ipswich in Suffolk, alongside a test of a related enhancement called Fibre-to-the-Distribution-Point (FTTdp). The current initiative is BT’s first large-scale field trial outside the lab.
Garner added that BT conducted the world’s first G.Fast trial in 2013 and has helped shape global industry standards for the technology. “We’re now eager to support all our service providers in learning how customers enjoy the service,” he said. “The people of Huntingdon will play an extremely important role in helping us gauge how the technology performs, and how we might deliver ultrafast speeds to more of the UK over the coming years.”
G.Fast operates by connecting a specially equipped cabinet to a distribution point via a high-speed backhaul, then using advanced noise-cancellation techniques between the distribution point and the home over the existing copper lines. This approach boosts speeds without replacing copper, speeding up deployment and reducing the cost of installing new infrastructure.
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale commented that the UK already leads Europe for superfast broadband coverage and speed, with around 40,000 additional homes and businesses gaining access each week through the government rollout. He said continued investment and innovation from industry players like BT will help the UK remain at the forefront of ultrafast broadband and maintain its position as a leading digital economy.
For the G.Fast trials, BT has collaborated with several international vendors, using equipment from ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, and Huawei. The company is also working with chipset manufacturers and global standards bodies to refine the technology and improve its performance.
For more information, visit: www.ultrafast-openreach.co.uk.
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