Comms Alliance revises VDSL2 and vectoring standards

The Communications Alliance will help facilitate the rollout of a fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) National Broadband Network (NBN) by revising industry standards around VDSL2 and vectoring.

VDSL uses copper for the 'last mile' connection to premises, but delivers faster speeds than the more common ADSL/ADSL2 broadband connections.

Vectoring improves VDSL (very-high-bit-rate DSL) performance by removing crosstalk interference by continuously analysing the noise conditions on copper lines. It then creates a new anti-noise signal to cancel it out, much like noise-cancelling headphones.

Huawei says VDSL2 can achieve speeds of 50Mbps within 300m of the node. Meanwhile, it says VDSL2 that uses vectoring can achieve speeds of 100Mbps within 300m of the node.

The Communications Alliance, through a working committee, will revise four co-regulatory instruments and develop a brochure to include arrangements for using VDSL2 and vectoring.

John Stanton, Communications Alliance CEO, said while a standard already has provisions for VDSL2, an industry code had not yet been developed around the deployment of the technology.

“Given that vectoring has emerged only recently as a workable technology to boost data speeds via FTTN, neither our co-regulatory Code nor the Australian Standard yet encompasses it,” Stanton said.

“The revision of Codes and Standards to facilitate new technologies and new policy directions is an important part of ensuring that Australian industry is equipped to realise the planned changes to the way the NBN is rolled out.”

VDSL2 and vectoring is used around the world to boost the speed of broadband connections that use copper.

The Australian Financial Review reported Telstra kicked off a VDSL vectoring trial just after the election, but it has said it has not “demonstrated its capabilities to anyone yet”.

New Zealand company Chorus recently launched a wholesale VDSL-based offering as an interim solution while fibre-to-the-premises is rolled out in areas covered by NZ's Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) program.

Chorus will also offer it in areas where FTTN has been deployed as part of the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI).

In the United Kingdom, BT has also announced it is testing deploying vectoring.