Quote:
Originally Posted by darthlinux
I am confused are they still using the copper cables?
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Hi Darthlinux,
The biggest problem with ADSL is the distance from the exchange. People like me (who actually live in a busy area) to our horror, find our lines are 5Km after moving in are stuffed with sub 1Mbit Internet, despite paying the *same* as people on maximum line rates!
Lucky people who live "near" the exchange can get 8Mbits (on ADSL1) to 24Mbits (on ADSL2+)...
BT are rolling out VDSL which means the "exchange" comes closer to the customer... well when i mean "exchange" its a tiny dslam (the thing that generates your DSL signal to your own modem/router...) with VDSL they put a fibre to a box in the street (ie a green cab around the corner from YOU) then the rest of the circuit travels via the same old copper connection that it always has been
The distance is reduced from 5Km down to (say) 500 metres to my house.
Then all I have to worry about is the "loss" of 500 metres which is the equivalent of being on the doorstep of the exchange...
Virtually everyone connected to a VDSL box should be UNDER 1Km in copper length which means you can get phenomenal speeds possibly up to 60-80-100Mbits if they keep refining the technology... Of course the upload is much faster too...
I cannot wait for this to be rolled out and BT have PROMISED to unbundle this service to other ISP's. I imagine BT will own the VDSL kit and fibre and simply demux you at ATM level in the exchange and feed it directly into SKY/Orange/Tiscali networks etc
This is really good news for everyone but im afraid it might take YEARS as BT estimate it will cost 15Bn to roll out and they are only investing 1.5Bn... so the money will have to come from somewhere or remote areas simply wont get done.