NBN FTTdp: A Few Things You Need to Know

NBN FTTdp: A Few Things You Need to Know The phrase FTTdp or Fiber to the Distribution Point has been mentioned frequently in the last few years. It is also referred to as ‘Fiber to the Curb/Kerb’ or FTTC/FTTK. It can be described as a hybrid of FTTP or Fibre-to-the-Premise as well as FTTN or Fibre-to-the-Node. Instead of taking fibre to a central node in a neighborhood, it is laid directly to a property’s kerb & the final connection from the kerb to your home is generally made with the existing copper phone line.

Not only does this enable faster download speeds as well as better performance, but it also make it cheaper for you to get a direct fibre connection to your home or business.

Who will be getting FTTdp? Presently about 700,000 premises will be connected to the NBN or National Broadband Network using FTTdp technology.

It is mainly being used as a replacement for Optus’ HFC or Hybrid-Fibre Coaxial cable network. According to the NBN, FTTdp will mainly be deployed in areas where the use of Optus’ HFC cable network was planned.

Last year Fairfax had published leaked NBN documents. The documents revealed internal concerns about the quality of Optus’ HFC cable network, describing it as “not fully fit for purpose”. The NBN documents also suggested that some equipment had almost reached the end of its life & would need replacement, & that network was congested because of over-subscription.

How fast will be FTTdp connections?

Initially FTTdp connections will enable NBN download speeds of about 100Mbps. However, speeds of upto 1Gbps will be possible, making FTTdp connections far more future proof, when it is combined with G.fast technology.

What exactly is G.fast technology?

G. fast technology is a new technology for carrying faster broadband signals over existing copper wires. The G.fast standard apparently allows the NBN to get more mileage out of old copper.

It was designed for copper lines that are shorter than 250 metres. Hence, it is ideal for FTTdp technology. However, it wouldn’t provide much of a speed benefit to a FTTN deployment.

How much will FTTdp connection cost?

Like rest of the NBN deployment, NBN will be covering the cost of your initial connection. Once your premise is connected to the NBN, you will have to sign-up with a NBN reseller. Pricing will be typically the same regardless of the technology type a business or home is connected with when it comes to fixed line NBN connections. In most of the cases, you will need to pay a little extra every month in order to get a faster connection.

In case, you are not taking up a 24-month contract, most telcos will be charging you an additional setup fee which is generally around the $100 mark.

https://nbngowest.com.au/