Caution, many TAFLA’s (Three and Four Letter Acronyms) ahead! š
VDSL (Very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line) isĀ a technology used by Australia’s NBNCo in the rollout of the National Broadband Network.Ā FTTN (Fibre-to-the-Node) Broadband rollouts see internet carrying optical fibre cable laid from the telephone exchange to cabinetsĀ located strategically around a neighbourhood (the cabinet being the ‘node’), and distributionĀ from the cabinet toĀ subscriber’s homes is then handled by VDSL technology over the existing Telstra copper phone lines.
VDSL is, simply put, a faster version of ADSL which Australia has used for internet access for many years.Ā ADSL2+ speedsĀ topped out at 24Mbp/s, whereas VDSL technology currently tops out at 100Mbp/s.Ā This amazing performance comes at a priceĀ – VDSL only operates over short distances of around 1200 meters (hence the need for many localised nodes about the neighbourhood).
Unfortunately, VDSL also appears to cause HF interference.Ā Don Beattie G3BJĀ reports the number of instances of interference from VDSL has increased over the last couple of years in the UK – on the IARU Region 1 website he says:
The number of instances of interference from VDSL has increased over the last couple of years in the UK. To help amateurs to detect interference from VDSL the RSGB has drawn up a leaflet, the 15th in a series of EMC leaflets which the RSGB EMCC has produced.
The leaflet has been uploaded to this site by G4JKS in response to an action agreed at the first EMC Committee meeting at the Interim Meeting or Permanent Committees in Vienna on 16th to 17th April 2016.
What is described here is fibre to the basement FTTNb (has various acronyms), it will provide a cabinet to houses within, roughly, a 600m radius, it then uses the original copper from the cabinet to the house. It is the latest update (3 months old now) to FTTN which was fibre to the local exchange, and then use the old copper from the exchange to the house. This newer system will mean faster roll out and be cheaper?? Treasury costing, so that is sus straight up. This is what most of Wauchope will be getting later this year, ha, ha.
Thanks for the clarification Steve. That top graphic was taken from an NBNCo PDF describing the technology, but I wouldn’t doubt the whole thing’s been through several incarnations since then. They can hurry up with it here in Port too, either at my office or here in Shelley Beach – they can also ensure I’m close to the cabinet in either case too! š
And you’ve managed to get yourself some new copper cable as well to help with the broadband speed, some people have all the luck, has anybody got high voltage megger? š
No one should have to go through what I went through to get that new copper (especially considering it bought me just 1 extra Megabit, along with ooooh, line stability)… it was quite the ordeal with the odd necessary tantrum…