Alcatel-Lucent said telecom network operator BT started consumer trial of G.fast technology in Gosforth, where deploying fiber-optic connectivity is difficult, to offer high speed broadband.

The BT trial will cover up to 2,000 homes in Gosforth, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and will last for six to nine months. Earlier this year, BT and Alcatel-Lucent conducted similar broadband trials around Hethersett in Norfolk.

During the trial, G.fast broadband technology will enable up to 330 Mbps Internet data speeds – via copper infrastructure directly into premises. G.fast eliminates the need to rewire entire buildings and homes.

More than 30 telecom operators are conducting trials with Alcatel-Lucent’s G.fast technology.

During the trial, customers will experience much faster broadband speeds and can benefit from improved performance on existing services and will be able to access new services such as multiple simultaneous 4K TV channels, fast HD video downloads and streaming.

BT Group, which reported revenue of £17,979 million and profit before taxation of £2,645 million for the year ended 31 March 2015, is keeping substantial Capex (capital spending) for broadband expansion in the U.K.

“This is the largest trial of G.fast technology in the world today and extensive research by teams of experts at both BT and Alcatel- Lucent have prepared us well for this exploration into how the technology performs,” said Mike Galvin, MD Service, Strategy and Operations, BT.

Baburajan K
[email protected]