Swisscom reports G.fast field test

Swisscom reports it completed a field test of G.fast technology with existing customers. The successful trial, conducted in Bibern in the municipality of Buchegg, Solothurn canton, puts the Swiss incumbent carrier in position for a planned roll out of G.fast next year.

The carrier describes G.fast as a technology that will support broadband access network rates of up to 500 Mbps. Swisscom envisions using the technology in either "fiber to the street" (FTTS; see "Swisscom plans fiber to the street expansion") or fiber to the building (FTTB) applications. In the FTTS scenario, Swisscom will deploy fiber cables to within approximately 200 m of the subscriber before conversion to copper at the G.fast distribution point node.

Swisscom has selected Huawei as its G.fast equipment provider (see "Swisscom chooses Huawei as supplier for its FTTS expansion").

The G.fast field trial is part of Swisscom's overall plan to connect more than 2.3 million homes and businesses to its broadband access network by the end of the year. The network uses a combination of vectoring, FTTS, FTTB, and fiber to the home (FTTH) technologies.

For more information on FTTx equipment and providers, visit the Lightwave Buyer's Guide.