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[Black Sheep]

It's only going into trial as yet, but for the speed freaks amongst us this could be the answer if you are on an FTTC enabled Exchange. No idea of costings.

From Spring 2013, end users will be able to order an ultra-fast 330Mbps broadband connection directly to their home or business in an area served by Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) technology. Previously, they had to be located in a FTTP enabled area.

Trial sites are .... High Wycombe, Bristol South as well as in St Agnes, Cornwall. Edinburghs's, Waverley Exchange is to join in September 2012.

Just for info guys.

[Bald_Eagle1]

That's sounds interesting, but likely to be very costly for "up to" 1000m of fibre from the cab to my house?
I'm not 100% sure of the exact route yet, so it might be slightly less than that.

Are they likely to install a smaller fibre cabinet closer to users' premises, or maybe specify a maximum D-side fibre length from the current cabinets?

[Black Sheep]

No idea BE. First I've heard of it myself ?? As and when I get more info, or if a certain cat we know goes digging, the more we'll know. 

[c6em]

I'd suspect this is primarly aimed at business parks where the owner would pay to have fibre brought into the park from the local FTTC cabinet and then act as a reseller to their business customers.
The connections to individual occupants of the park would be the usual 'FTTP way' of splitter box/manholes underground within the park.

The costs would I guess be substantial, if it doesn't already exist then say £50-100/meter for ductwork to be put in depending on the sort of surface - lower if its grass verge - higher if it is highways/tarmac.  Then there will be the cost of the construction of the various inspection/joint/splitter pits, (wild guess at £2000 per pit complete with innards) wayleave agreements en-route whatever - the fibre cost itself will be almost incidental...
Then there is the VAT!

Nothing to stop a group of residents in a road setting up a consortium to get it done on their road- but expect plently of arguments over splitting of the cost and should the person 100 yards from the FTTC unit pay the same flat rate as the person half a mile away.  Actually the person 100 yards away from the cabinet probably would not be interested anyway.

[asbokid]

Is this latest offering FTTP or FTTC?  It might still be the latter. To offer this "ultra-fast 330Mbps broadband" service, maybe Openreach plans to install Profile 30a linecards in the street cabinet DSLAMs, and still use the existing metal path to the premises?

The Profile 30a linecards have a lower port density (16 lines per card) than the Profile 17a VDSL2 cards (48 subscriber lines) which are being installed in our street cabinets today.  Linecards of different types can't generally be mixed in a DSLAM because of crosstalk and limitations with the controller board. The controller board for the Huawei SmartAX MA5616T DSLAM can only drive four linecards, whatever their type.

Because of this, the Profile 30a cards need a higher ratio of DSLAMs to subscriber lines which costs more.  So, as c6em has suggested, that would restrict the higher speed cards to special cases - business parks, royal palaces, etc.

cheers, a

EDIT:

Huawei SmartAX MA5616 Product Brief  - 9 Feb 2012 - (PDF document)  [1]

[1] http://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6wW18mYskvBMHJiVFFmZ1I3Mjg

[Black Sheep]

Is this latest offering FTTP or FTTC?  It might still be the latter. To offer this "ultra-fast 330Mbps broadband" service, maybe Openreach plans to install Profile 30a linecards in the street cabinet DSLAMs?

The Profile 30a linecards have a lower port density (16 lines per card) than the Profile 17a VDSL2 cards (48 subscriber lines) which are being installed in our street cabinets today.  Linecards of different types can't generally be mixed in a DSLAM because of crosstalk and limitations with the controller board. The controller board for the Huawei SmartAX MA5616T DSLAM can only drive four linecards, whatever their type.

Because of this, the Profile 30a cards need a higher ratio of DSLAMs to subscriber lines which costs more.  So, as c6em has suggested, that would restrict the higher speed cards to special cases - business parks, royal palaces, etc.

cheers, a

EDIT:

Huawei SmartAX MA5616 Product Brief  - 9 Feb 2012 - (PDF document)  [1]

[1] http://docs.google.com/open?id=0B6wW18mYskvBMHJiVFFmZ1I3Mjg

From Spring 2013, end users will be able to order an ultra-fast 330Mbps broadband connection directly to their home or business in an area served by Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) technology. Previously, they had to be located in a FTTP enabled area.

[asbokid]

Aha! Thanks BlackSheep.

So it must be Profile 30a?  if so, it's going to be limited to homes in close proximity to the cabinet, less than 300metres, perhaps?

All the same, not to be sneezed at.

cheers, a

[Black Sheep]

Like I say, I'm not sure Asbo ?? Just got it as a communique and thought it worth passing to the masses. It is but a trial as yet. 

[c6em]

These press releases suggests it is true FTTP run from existing FTTC enabled areas.

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2012/06/bt-announce-uk-pilot-locations-330mbps-fttp-demand-service.html

http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/updates/briefings/super-fastfibreaccessbriefings/super-fastfibreaccessbriefingsarticles/nga01912.do

If so, do I presume it is piggybacked off the existing FTTC cabinet.  Hence once/if/when rolled out fully a FTTC cabinet might be supplying both FTTC and FTTP...

[asbokid]

aha!  looks good! so it is truly fibre to the premises!  can't be bad 

[burakkucat]

Yawn!. (Just woken from a quick cat-nap.)

My understanding is that it is a trial of FTTP being made available in areas currently designated as FTTC (remember it was originally stated, at the launch of the fibre optic based services, that an area would be either FTTC or FTTP but not both) by extending the fibre from the cabinet to the premises. This new option has been given the descriptor of FTTPoD ( . . . on demand).

There is some logic to the trial and that is the feasibility, some years hence, in converting the current fibre cabinets (newly installed for FTTC) to being just fibre splitter nodes . . .

Cost? Who really knows? Perhaps Beatie will be feeling generous? 

At a personal level, I would be interested in trialling the pole-top mini-MSAN. This is where a full fibre optic feed (i.e. no copper cabling from the exchange to the pole) runs to the pole-top, at which a mains-powered 12-premises mini-MSAN then sends the telephony and VDSL2 signals down quality screened drop-cables to the premises. That would be nice. (If anyone from Grimbledon Down is reading this, please take note -- it's DP1032 at EABSE.) 

[Black Sheep]

Yawn!. (Just woken from a quick cat-nap.)

My understanding is that it is a trial of FTTP being made available in areas currently designated as FTTC (remember it was originally stated, at the launch of the fibre optic based services, that an area would be either FTTC or FTTP but not both) by extending the fibre from the cabinet to the premises. This new option has been given the descriptor of FTTPoD ( . . . on demand).

There is some logic to the trial and that is the feasibility, some years hence, in converting the current fibre cabinets (newly installed for FTTC) to being just fibre splitter nodes . . .

Cost? Who really knows? Perhaps Beatie will be feeling generous? 

At a personal level, I would be interested in trialling the pole-top mini-MSAN. This is where a full fibre optic feed (i.e. no copper cabling from the exchange to the pole) runs to the pole-top, at which a mains-powered 12-premises mini-MSAN then sends the telephony and VDSL2 signals down quality screened drop-cables to the premises. That would be nice. (If anyone from Grimbledon Down is reading this, please take note -- it's DP1032 at EABSE.) 

We already use fibre drop-cables, B*Cat. 

[burakkucat]

We already use fibre drop-cables, B*Cat. 

Acknowledged, with a Japanese-style bow. Yes, I appreciate that aspect of FTTP but I was referring to yet another alternative technology that is (was?) being considered -- that of fibre to the distribution point, where the DP is at a pole-top (thus FTTDP). 

[Black Sheep]

  B*Cat

I understand your thinking, but if they were considering taking Fibre to the DP (which you are right, they were), then why tarnish the last 60/70 mtrs with a co-ax cable ?? If it were my business, I'd see it off with a Fibre droppy. 

Of course, there will also be instances whereby the DP is still a few miles from the EU. Ergo, a Fibre droppy run would again be advantageous. Not crossing swords here Mr Cat, far from it ....... just presenting my business case for 'The Dragons'.

[burakkucat]

   I fully understand your POV. And your reasoning for it.

Why would I be more enthusiastic about having a FTTDP, rather than a FTTP, service to replace my current ADSL2+ service? No changes would need to be made within TheCattery. There would be no need for a battery back-up pack and all the gubbins currently required in the EU's premises for the present FTTP deployment.

I reside in a FTTC enabled area but I do not take the service. Why? Two-fold. (1) I have no need for 40/10 Mbps. (2) It is not a self-install product.