NBN switches cables

Faster option to old Optus lines

THE company rolling out the national broadband network will now use an experimental new technology on up to 700,000 houses and businesses along the eastern seaboard.

NBN Co announced the move yesterday at the same time as it revealed it was giving up on lower quality Optus cables that were supposed to be used instead.

The new technology, named fibre to the distribution point — also dubbed “fibre to the kerb” — had “performed strongly” when tested at the top download speed of 100 megabits a second, the group said.

It uses small boxes that sit in telco manholes and connect the NBN’s fibre cable to copper lines for about four houses apiece.

This contrasts with the fibre to the node technology, which connects to about 380 houses each.

The NBN originally paid about $800 million to decommission the Optus hybrid-fibre coaxial network — used for pay TV — as it could be used as a rival to a larger national broadband network. But the NBN then considered using the hybrid-fibre coaxial cables as an alternative for some customers. Due to the condition of the network, it has decided to abandon that idea.

The new fibre to the kerb will be used in parts of Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney where Optus hybrid-fibre coaxial was the only option.

“We have tested fibre to the distribution point over the last year and we’re confident we can now deploy the technology in areas where it makes better sense from a customer experience, deployment efficiency and cost perspective,” NBN Co chief engineering officer Peter Ryan said.

Mr Ryan said the company had made advancements on the fibre-to-the-distributionpoint technology that made it better than the older Optus network.

The exception will be the already launched network in Redcliffe, Queensland, in which the Optus network has already been used.

Mr Ryan said Telstra hy- brid-fibre coaxial was in a better condition and easier to convert.

“HFC remains a highly valued part of our multi technology mix deployment,” he said.

“However in balancing the requirements to convert Optus’s current network architecture and design to be NBNready, and the opportunity to introduce fibre to the distribution point, makes the new technology compelling in these selected areas.

“We have successfully launched NBN on HFC around the country and we are very encouraged by the performance we are seeing on the network.”