EFTel plans to rollout VDSL

Australian Internet provider, EFTel Limited has announced its plans to rollout of nationwide Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line 2 (VDSL2), the next generation in high-speed broadband delivery nationwide.

The ASX-listed provider believes VDSL2 will enable speeds of up to 100Mbps, 4 times faster than ADSL2+ and from 12 to 400 times faster than ADSL.

The network, to be called BroadbandNext, will be built on Multiservice access node (MSAN) technology. MSANs are apparently a leap ahead of the traditional DSLAM Broadband technology being rolled out by most providers.

In its statement to the ASX, EFTel said the project will commence in February 2008, with the MSANs will be aggressively rolled out at a rate of 15 exchanges per month, with an initial schedule of 70 exchanges nationwide.

EFTel’s CEO Simon Ehrenfeld said its MSANs can deliver VDSL2, ADSL2+, traditional ADSL, SHDSL corporate solutions, normal PSTN Voice services, IP Video, VoIP, and Bare DSL.

More importantly, the rollout brings EFTel some freedom from the Telstra cost prison, according Ehrenfled.

“This is the most exciting event in the history of EFTel. We are delivering a
service to the Australian public that is new, technically advanced, delivers the blindingly fast broadband consumers have been asking for, and leaves major
competitors in our wake,” he said.

EFTel is partnering with ASX-listed PIPE Networks and Chinese giant
Huawei Technologies to ensure an effective network capacity in Australia.

EFTel’s major projects manager Luke MacKinnon said after dialogue between EFTel and telcos of varying sizes throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas, it was clear that VDSL2 is also the technology which will be best suited to a Fibre to the Node (FTTN) environment in the future.

“If and when FTTN occurs, the network infrastructure will be redeployable,” he said. EFTel Ltd will be retailing VDSL2 and its other new services through its flagship

EFTel retail brand as well as its aaNet brand. Its wholesale division, DFT Wholesale Internet, will be offering access to its numerous ISP customers.

VDSL2 is expected to be certified for use on the public switched telephone network in the first quarter of 2008.