PARIS, July 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Bell Labs, the
research arm of Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU), has
set a new broadband speed record of 10 gigabits-per-second (Gbps)
using traditional copper telephone lines and a prototype technology
that demonstrates how existing copper access networks can be used
to deliver 1Gbps symmetrical ultra-broadband access services.
Achieving 1 Gbps 'symmetrical' services – where bandwidth can be
split to provide simultaneous upload and download speeds of 1 Gbps
– is a major breakthrough for copper broadband. It will enable
operators to provide Internet connection speeds that are
indistinguishable from fiber-to-the-home services, a major business
benefit in locations where it is not physically, economically or
aesthetically viable to lay new fiber cables all the way into
residences. Instead, fiber can be brought to the curbside, wall or
basement of a building and the existing copper network used for the
final few meters.
The Bell Labs tests used a prototype technology called XG-FAST.
This is an extension of G.fast technology, a new broadband standard
currently being finalized by the ITU. When it becomes commercially
available in 2015, G.fast will use a frequency range for data
transmission of 106 MHz, giving broadband speeds up to 500 Mbps
over a distance of 100 meters. In contrast, XG-FAST uses an
increased frequency range up to 500 MHz to achieve higher speeds
but over shorter distances. Bell Labs achieved 1 Gbps symmetrical
over 70 meters on a single copper pair. 10 Gbps was achieved over a
distance of 30 meters by using two pairs of lines (a technique
known as "bonding"). Both tests used standard copper cable provided
by a European operator.
Marcus Weldon, President of Bell
Labs: "Our constant aim is to push the limits of what is possible
to 'invent the future', with breakthroughs that are 10 times better
than are possible today. Our demonstration of 10 Gbps over copper
is a prime example: by pushing broadband technology to its limits,
operators can determine how they could deliver gigabit services
over their existing networks, ensuring the availability of
ultra-broadband access as widely and as economically as
possible."
Commenting on the achievement, Federico
Guillen, President of Alcatel-Lucent's Fixed Networks
business said: "The Bell Labs speed record is an amazing
achievement, but crucially in addition they have identified a new
benchmark for 'real-world' applications for ultra-broadband fixed
access. XG-FAST can help operators accelerate FTTH deployments,
taking fiber very close to customers without the major expense and
delays associated with entering every home. By making 1 gigabit
symmetrical services over copper a real possibility, Bell Labs is
offering the telecommunications industry a new way to ensure no
customer is left behind when it comes to ultra-broadband
access."
Technical background information
The primary factors
influencing broadband speeds over copper are:
- Distance: the longer the copper connection between the access
node and the customer's telephone socket, the slower the broadband
speed. This is dictated by attenuation.
- Frequency: the wider the frequency range, the faster the
broadband speed that can be achieved. The Shannon Limit
dictates the maximum possible speed for a given medium and
frequency spectrum.
- Higher frequencies attenuate more quickly than lower
frequencies, meaning there are diminishing returns in speed as the
frequency range increases.
During testing, Bell Labs showed that XG-FAST technology can
deliver 1 Gbps symmetrical services over 70 meters (for the cable
being tested). This was achieved using a frequency range of 350
MHz. Signals at higher frequencies were completely attenuated after
70 meters.
In practical situations, other significant factors that can
influence actual speeds (not taken into account during these tests
but which have been studied extensively elsewhere) include the
quality and thickness of the copper cable and cross-talk between
adjacent cables (which can be removed by vectoring).
Technology
comparison
|
Technology
|
Frequency
|
Maximum
aggregate speed
|
Maximum
Distance
|
|
|
|
|
VDSL2*
|
17 MHz
|
150 Mbps
|
400 meters
|
G.fast phase
1*
|
106 MHz
|
700 Mbps
|
100 meters
|
G.fast phase
2*
|
212 MHz
|
1.25 Gbps
|
70 meters
|
Bell Labs
XG-FAST**
|
350
MHz
|
2 Gbps (1 Gbps
symmetrical)
|
70
meters
|
Bell Labs XG-FAST
with bonding***
|
500
MHz
|
10 Gbps (two
pairs)
|
30
meters
|
|
|
|
|
* Industry standard
specifications. G.fast allows for upload and download speeds to be
configured by the operator.
** In a laboratory, reproducing real-world conditions of distance
and copper quality.
*** Laboratory conditions.
|
About Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE:
ALU)
We are at the forefront of global
communications, providing products and innovations in IP and cloud
networking, as well as ultra-broadband fixed and wireless access to
service providers and their customers, and to enterprises and
institutions throughout the world. Underpinning us in driving the
industrial transformation from voice telephony to high-speed
digital delivery of data, video and information is Bell Labs, an
integral part of the Group and one of the world's foremost
technology research institutes, responsible for countless
breakthroughs that have shaped the networking and communications
industry. Our innovations have resulted in our Group being
recognized by Thomson Reuters as a Top 100 Global Innovator, as
well as being named by MIT Technology Review as amongst 2012's Top
50 "World's Most Innovative Companies". We have also been
recognized for innovation in sustainability, being named Industry
Group Leader in the Technology Hardware & Equipment sector in
the 2013 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices review, for making global
communications more sustainable, affordable and accessible, all in
pursuit of the Group's mission to realize the potential of a
connected world.
With revenues of Euro 14.4
billion in 2013, Alcatel-Lucent is listed on the
Paris and New York stock exchanges (Euronext and NYSE:
ALU). The company is incorporated in France and headquartered in Paris.
For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on:
http://www.alcatel-lucent.com, read the latest posts on the
Alcatel-Lucent blog http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/blog and follow
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