Sky Triple Play VDSL Roll Out

[Fatec]

Just received ITK info that Sky VDSL trials will start Q3 this year through BT Sub Loop Unbundling at street cabinet level which means that Sky can place a cabinet within a few hundred metres of subscribers, containing 24 Mbit/sec VDSL kit!

There is very little info going around about this right now...i have seen the letter myself and it does indeed seem that sky are trialing FTTC!

[Ignitionnet]

The kit was tested a while ago, and a cabinet has been unbundled near the formerly Easynet offices in East London.

The kit in the cabinet is capable of way over 24Mbit/s - it'll be good for 100Mbit depending on loop length.

[Fatec]

Originally Posted by Broadbandings

The kit was tested a while ago, and a cabinet has been unbundled near the formerly Easynet offices in East London.

The kit in the cabinet is capable of way over 24Mbit/s - it'll be good for 100Mbit depending on loop length.

Hi,

thanks for your reply.

I know it was tested a while back, this is customer trials im talking about though, starting in a few months with the base package offering 24Mbit (upload unknown but we know its higher than 1.5Mbit).

Interesting times ahead.

[Ignitionnet]

I see, you're referring to Sky actually doing customer trials rather than tech trials.

[Fatec]

Indeed, trials start November, unsure as to which areas but there is 3 for initial trials!

This is going to be for their future IPTV service at a guess?

I am confused are they still using the copper cables?

[dslam]

Originally Posted by darthlinux

I am confused are they still using the copper cables?

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.

[brundles]

If Sky are driving the trials at the moment, what do you think the chances would be of them funding (or at least subsidising) a certain amount of the unbundling on the grounds of some form of short-term exclusivity?

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by brundles

If Sky are driving the trials at the moment, what do you think the chances would be of them funding (or at least subsidising) a certain amount of the unbundling on the grounds of some form of short-term exclusivity?

Nothing short term about it. If Sky sub-loop unbundle by placing their own kit in or adjacent to BT street furniture they get sole use of the kit, they don't have to wholesale or resell it at all. It's no different from unbundling an exchange apart from that you unbundle a cabinet rather than an entire exchange.

[dslam]

What is the likelyness of VDSL hitting the streets in 2008-2009 then?

As trials are starting soon you probley wont see it for awhile unless ur in a trial area

[Chrysalis]

ofcom done a recent survey showing grim reading on adsl2+ for current local loop, under 10% above 12mbit.

they then did another graph showing the affect of FTTC and that shows over 70% over 12mbit. It goes even higher with VDSL.

[PeteTheMusicGuy]

I wonder if sky is trailing now in preparation for a BT rollout, as I cannot see them doing it nation wide

[Fatec]

Originally Posted by PeteTheMusicGuy

I wonder if sky is trailing now in preparation for a BT rollout, as I cannot see them doing it nation wide

Nothing to do with the BT rollout AFAIK, completely different project.

And national rollout will happen if the trials go OK so they can do their IPTV service.

I gotta say in a way fair play to sky in trying to make a better service