Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Bowdon]

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2018/01/vodafone-uk-focus-ftth-no-firm-plans-g-fast-broadband.html

Telecoms operator Vodafone has told ISPreview.co.uk that they have “no firm plans to launch” ultrafast broadband products based off Openreach’s (BT) new 330Mbps capable G.fast technology. Instead they intend to focus on preparing their new 1Gbps FTTH service for launch “later this year“.

At present Vodafone’s existing line-up of Home Broadband packages reflect a traditional selection of copper and hybrid-fibre based ADSL and FTTC (VDSL2) technologies, with the latter offering a maximum download speed of up to 76Mbps. The operator’s bundles also happen to be some of the cheapest in the United Kingdom, which seems designed to help grow their customer base as quickly as possible (currently at c.300,000).

Last year Vodafone and Cityfibre also jointly announced a new deal, which could potentially see a 1Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH/P) broadband network being deployed for up to 5 million UK premises by 2025. The £500m Phase One of this roll-out is expected to start during the second half of 2018 and focus on around 12 cities, reaching a “minimum” of 1 million UK homes (a decision on whether to extend this will be taken later).

I'm happy about this direction. It looks like vodafone are going to do here what they have been doing in other countries.

I think with the G.fast reluctance is because everyone wants to know if it will live up to the hype before they commit to it.

[j0hn]

I really hope G.Fast is a huge flop and BT go down the profile 35b route.
It works alongside the current VDSL2, and it boosts speeds for everyone, not just those living with a cabinet in their garden.

Most other networks operators who already use VDSL2 are going down the profile 35b route. Absolute madness picking a different technology that overlaps spectrum like G.Fast.

[gt94sss2]

Be careful what you wish for. I seem to recall that changes to the Access Network Frequency Plan mean that 35b cannot be rolled out in the UK now, even if someone wanted too. Plus having invested so much in g.fast, Openreach are not going to change, even if G.Fast flopped. As it is, we wouldn't have all these pods appearing if OR was not satisfied with results re: speed/reach.

Also, I don't think your statement that most network operators are going down the 35b route is necessarily correct. 35b has its own problems/limitations and is years overdue - just look at Germany were it now looks like its going to be 2019 before they can even start to deploy the service.

I think all Vodafone have really said is that we are going to launch a g.fast service, they just haven't publicly announced a date.. but then again, neither have Openreach said when G.Fast is going 'live' (rather than technically being a limited deployment).

[S.Stephenson]

I’m thinking BTs reasoning is that eventually they will use FTTN with Gfast, unless they are forced to roll out FTTP.

After all is cheaper to roll out a node every 300m than it is to roll out full fibre.

If I was planning a cheapo ultrafast network I’d have a large Gfast cabinet with a 10G link then have loads of nodes all backhauled using Gfast from the cabinet.