NBN FTTdp: A Few Things You Need to Know
The phrase FTTdp or Fiber to the Distribution Point has
been mentioned frequently in the last few years. It is also referred to as
‘Fiber to the Curb/Kerb’ or FTTC/FTTK.
It can be
described as a hybrid of FTTP or Fibre-to-the-Premise as well as FTTN or
Fibre-to-the-Node. Instead of taking fibre to a central node in a neighborhood,
it is laid directly to a property’s kerb & the final connection from the
kerb to your home is generally made with the existing copper phone line.
Not only
does this enable faster download speeds as well as better performance, but it
also make it cheaper for you to get a direct fibre connection to your home or
business.
Who will be getting FTTdp?
Presently
about 700,000 premises will be connected to the NBN or National Broadband
Network using FTTdp technology.
It is
mainly being used as a replacement for Optus’ HFC or Hybrid-Fibre Coaxial cable
network. According to the NBN, FTTdp will mainly be deployed in areas where the
use of Optus’ HFC cable network was planned.
Last year
Fairfax had published leaked NBN
documents. The documents revealed internal concerns about the quality of Optus’
HFC cable network, describing it as “not fully fit for purpose”. The NBN
documents also suggested that some equipment had almost reached the end of its
life & would need replacement, & that network was congested because of
over-subscription.
How fast will be FTTdp connections?
Initially, FTTdp connections will enable NBN download
speeds of about 100Mbps. However, speeds of up to 1Gbps will be possible, making FTTdp connections far more future
proof, when it is combined with G.fast technology.
What exactly is G.fast technology?
G. fast
technology is a new technology for carrying faster broadband signals over
existing copper wires. The G.fast standard apparently allows the NBN to get
more mileage out of old copper.
It was
designed for copper lines that are shorter than 250 meters. Hence, it is ideal
for FTTdp technology. However, it wouldn’t provide much of a speed benefit to a
FTTN deployment.
How much will FTTdp connection cost?
Like rest
of the NBN deployment, NBN will be covering the cost of your initial
connection. Once your premise is connected to the NBN, you will have to sign-up
with an NBN reseller. Pricing will be typically the same regardless of the
technology type a business or home is connected with when it comes to fixed-line NBN connections. In most of cases, you will need to pay a little extra
every month in order to get a faster connection.
In case,
you are not taking up a 24-month contract, most telcos will be charging you an
additional setup fee which is generally around the $100 mark.
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