BT Openreach begins latest VDSL vectoring field trial

BT Openreach (NYSE: BT) has begun the second phase of its VDSL vectoring trial, which it claims could enhance the speeds of its "up to" 80 Mbps-capable hybrid copper and fiber-based fiber to the cabinet (FTTC) network by reducing crosstalk on its existing copper lines.

A previous multi-month trial that BT began last September successfully enabled it to deliver top speeds of up to 80 Mbps, according to an ISPreview.co.uk report.

Set to run for at least three months, the second phase of the trial will focus on the same three street cabinets in Barnet (London) and another three in Braintree (Essex).

BT said that several new enhancements are also being introduced to the trial in order to help improve FTTC performance and tackle interference.

One of the key elements it will use during this round is an enhanced Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) vectoring engine that the telco claims could cancel out significantly more cross-talk interferes per line, which means end-users could see an even bigger improvement in their service speeds. However, the one drawback of using the ASIC is that it could increase costs because it would require replacing some hardware in each street cabinet that houses the network electronics.

Openreach told ISPreview.co.uk that it was not ready to say if it would use either a System-Level or Node-Level Vectoring solution.

"We're currently focused on ensuring that the trial of the ASIC engine is successful," an Openreach spokesperson told ISPreview.co.uk. "Beyond that we will be considering all commercially viable options to further enhance the customer's experience."

It will also begin the second trial with three ASIC vector engines at the sites in Braintree and Barnet, while another three will be activated at the trial sites over the coming weeks. 

For more:
- ISPreview has this article

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