World-First VDSL2 Demo Gets 500Mbps Data Transfers

pnorth writes "Ericsson has achieved data transfer rates of more than 500Mbps in what it said is the world's first live demonstration of a new VDSL2-based technology. The demonstration achieved data rates of more than 0.5 Gbps over twisted copper pairs using 'vectorized' VDSL2. Vectoring decouples the lines in a cable (from an interference point of view), substantially improving power management, and reduces noise originating from the other copper pairs in the same cable bundle."

Comments

Wee bit limited

[Brian Stretch]

FTA: "It showed aggregated rates of above 0.5Gbps at 500 metres, bonding six lines."

So if you happen to have six unused lines lying around and happen to be within half a kilometer of the fiber node and nothing else goes wrong you could get 500Mbps. Realistically you won't be that close to the node, you won't have that many spare lines, and for the sake of a "consistent user experience" (hi AT&T!) you'll get the same craptastic service that someone at least 1km out with at most two pairs would get.

But some PHB will decide to deploy it because his spreadsheet says that FTTH is too expensive, even if it is a one-time expense, and marketing swears that most people can't tell that their upstream is slow and their HDTV channels have been recompressed into mush. The only people who would notice are the ones who'd buy high-end service tiers if they didn't suck...

And the point?

[nurb432]

It will just be throttled.