Telekom Austria's (NYSE: TKA) A1 subsidiary has found that vectoring technology is another way to extend the life of its copper network to deliver higher speed on its Giga-Network.
Built in a hybrid copper/fiber configuration, the Giga-Network consists of a two-part solution of FTTC (Fiber-to-the-curb) and FTTEx (Fiber-to-the-Exchange, also known as VDSL@CO) to connect Telekom Austria's central office equipment with the last mile copper network.
Following initial trials conducted in late 2010, the service provider will again leverage Alcatel-Lucent's (NYSE: ALU) vectoring technology to deliver up what it says will be to 100 and 50 Mbps speeds at distances of up to 300 meters and 800 meters respectively over their existing copper network.
Like many traditional telcos, Walter Goldenits, CTO of A1 said that they are trying to simultaneously expand its fiber network where possible, but also meet immediate broadband demands with its existing infrastructure.
"We are currently facing a dual challenge: on the one hand, we have to invest in the further rollout of our high-performance fiber optic network going forward, and on the other, we have to provide our customers with a full-coverage broadband network with ever-increasing bandwidths starting from today," he said.
Vectoring can enable higher speeds on existing copper networks by minimizing interference or "crosstalk" between the copper pairs running from the CO or RT lines that connect to a user's home or business.
Telekom Austria A1 will implement the vectoring technology in a phased approach, beginning in Korneuburg, lower Austria. This will be followed by a countrywide deployment in the second half of this year.
While extending the life of the copper network is a major focus here, the service provider is just as keen on Fiber to the Home (FTTH). Last November, it launched its 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps FTTH service in the 15th and 19th districts of Vienna, which pass about 90,000 households.
Progress on the Giga-Network continues to gain momentum. As of the end of 2011, services were available to a total of 2.1 million households and businesses.
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