nbn trial delivers fibre equivalent speeds over revamped pay TV cable

Gigabit speeds are around the corner for eligible homes and businesses in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and the Gold Coast. The news comes as a result of nbn's trials of technology called DOCSIS 3.1 on its Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) network - previously Telstra's pay TV cable.

In lab trials of the new DOCSIS 3.1 technology conducted in Melbourne, nbn achieved downstream speeds of 1Gbps – on par with the top speed available for retailers on the nbn Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network. The trial delivered upstream speeds of 100 Mbps – more than double the current highest 40 Mbps upload retail speed available on HFC retail services over the nbn™ network.

nbn will be one of the first operators outside of the US to commercially launch DOCSIS 3.1 technology as an upgrade path for the HFC network and able to deliver Gigabit+  downstream wholesale speeds.

nbn is planning further lab testing of DOCSIS 3.1 in August, then in-field trials in December, ahead of a potential commercial launch of DOCSIS 3.1 services in 2018.

nbn is building a new and upgraded, fast wholesale broadband network to enable communities across Australia to access fast broadband from their retail service provider. The company's goal is to have universal access for all Australians and eight million homes and businesses activated on the nbn™ network by 2020.

Bill Morrow, CEO at nbn, said:

"These early tests of DOCSIS 3.1 technology are very exciting.

“This is another example of the continued efforts of the nbn team to innovate and plan for Australia's growing demands for data. 

"DOCSIS 3.1 is going to be able to provide fantastic gigabit potential for end users – just as our Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network does today. 

"The best news is that we will be able to bring Gigabit broadband to these premises far more quickly, cost effectively and with less disruption to end users than alternate technologies in these busy urban areas."

Notes to Editors

·        DOCSIS 3.1 stands for ‘Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification’ and is the third iteration of the global DOCSIS standard which is delivered over Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) cabling, better known as pay TV cabling.

Head to www.nbn.com.au to learn what you need to know before connecting to services over the nbn™ network, as well as how to get the best experience out of your internet connection.

To connect to a retail service over the nbn™ network:

1. Head to www.nbn.com.au to check your address to see if the nbn™ network is available in your area
2. View providers in your area and contact your preferred retail service provider to discuss an nbn™ plan that suits your needs
3. Ask your preferred retail service provider about the installation options available to you
4. Order a service over the nbn™ network with your preferred retail service provider and organise installation

For more information, visit www.nbn.com.au