A Windstream G.fast deployment in Lincoln, Nebraska will bring gigabit speeds to existing copper infrastructure within multiple dwelling units (MDUs). Lincoln is Windstream’s first market for the copper based G.fast technology, which is of great interest to telcos, allowing them to bring fiber-like broadband speeds to their existing copper infrastructure.
Windstream is deploying the Calix Axos platform for this G.Fast deployment and is using bonded G.fast technology to achieve higher broadband speed capabilities. Windstream will also utilize Calix’s GigaCenter solution to provide carrier-class WiFi in these MDUs. They will initially deploy the technology to two apartment complexes in the Lincoln market, reaching about 550 units across 25 buildings, according to a Windstream spokesman.
“In a growing community like Lincoln with a large number of college students and young professionals, MDUs are both an opportunity and a challenge for service providers looking to enable a robust subscriber experience,” said Art Nichols, Windstream vice president of network architecture and technology in a press release announcing the Windstream G.Fast deployment. “We see subscribers in MDUs as a key market opportunity for us, and we are looking forward to leveraging Calix AXOS G.fast solutions to bring our ultra-fast services to this audience.”
G.fast is gaining significant momentum here in the U.S. and around the world. While gigabit type speeds for G.fast are reserved for very short copper loops, G.fast semiconductor vendor Sckipio reports that 150 Mbps performance at 1,600 feet (500 meters) and 300 Mbps at 960 feet (300 meters) are feasible.
Calix is moving aggressively into G.fast and has “… been shipping G.fast to commercial deployments for almost 6 months,” said Geoff Burke, senior director for corporate marketing at Calix in an email interview. “We have customers using G.fast in MDUs all over the world.”
Larger carriers including BT and AT&T are very active with the technology, with anticipated large -scale deployments on the horizon. The technology works over coax as well, which is encouraging to AT&T, given their recent DirecTV acquisition.