Comms Alliance preps vectored VDSL2 connection rules

The Communications Alliance has published drafts two key standards associated with the introduction of vectored VDSL2 services to the Australian market.

Once the standards are formally adopted, they will provide the specs permitting vectored VDSL2 modems to be connected to the network; and requires that line filters support the extended frequency band used for vectored VDSL2 services.

To allow vectored VDSL2 modems to connect to the network, the modem standard will now support equipment classes 9r, 9s and 9t to support ITU recommendation G.991.2 and equipment class 10v for G.993.2 and G.993.5.

The revisions to filtering rules make sure new filters sold for connection to the copper support the frequencies needed for vectored VDSL2 services.

The standards aren't just a box-ticking exercise. As Comms Alliance CEO John Stanton notes, vectored VDSL2 services won't operate at the speeds people expect if there's interference between lines or inadequate kit.

Co-existence with older services will also be a big thing, because of the 18-month migration window (between when an area is ready-for-service and when wholesale services formally become the responsibility of NBN Co).

As Stanton notes: “In each area migrating to the NBN there will be an 18 month window during which new and legacy services need to co-exist without undue interference to one another, until eventually all fixed terrestrial services end up being migrated to the NBN.”

Vulture South notes that to the more enthusiastic NBN-statement-watchers, Stanton's interests in migration processes for a copper-based service will be interesting. There's still no official word on how the government, NBN Co and Telstra will resolve their existing customer migration deal to cope with the multi-technology model.

That deal, readers will remember, only covers the migration to fibre once NBN Co has completed the FTTP build. To handle copper-based services, the deal has to be substantially revised – something which has been “imminent” for most of 2014, but has frequently been delayed. ®