NTL trials 18 mbps broadband

Broadband speeds could soon reach new heights as cable operator NTL pilots ADSL2+, a technology that offers a maximum download speeds of 18 mbps.

Such rates are only possible over short distances, but NTL says that 95 percent of homes are within one kilometer of its high-speed fiber network. This means ADSL2+, a faster version of Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line technology, should run at high speeds over the copper wire that runs between NTL's roadside cabinets and individual homes.

"The field trials are to determine the technological potential of these next-generation broadband services and evaluate the operational benefits of ADSL2+," said an NTL spokesman. "Our fiber-rich network means that we have the potential to provide customers with multiple services through a single high-speed IP connection."

The company has also been testing streaming of high-definition broadcasts over its IP fibre network.

BT is planning to begin trialing ADSL2+ this year. However, only a small proportion of its customers live within one kilometer of their local telephone exchange, which could limit BT's ADSL2+ top speeds. Few details of BT's ADSL2+ trial have been released as yet.

BT's wholesale division is also about to begin testing ADSL at speeds up to 8 mbps--a four-fold increase on its current top speed. However, it is likely that only homes and businesses within a few kilometers of their local telephone exchange will be able to get such rates.

Dan Ilett of ZDNet UK reported from London.

NTL Trials of ADSL2+

It is OK for companies to start announcing these magnificent
download speeds for net connection. What they only reveal in
the fine print is that the upload speed is often capped to only
256 kilobits per second. That's OK if you are trying to stop your
customer from starting a web hosting business, but for someone
like a small design studio which has to pass highly designed
InDesign or QuarkXpress pages for review and approval to a
publisher or pre-press house, it's a killer. This may make NTL's
claim of being able to reach 95 per cent of the populace
worthless.

[System Tyrant]

Heres a thought

I think it would be kind of cool if High Speed Internet providers to allow for flexible internet speeds. In other words if you have a 1.5mbps connection spead then that is what you get up and down, but not at the same time.

For example if you are only uploading you can max it out at 1.5mbps, but if your downloading and uploading then it balances out. Maybe set someway of dividing bandwidth like if you are downloading two files and uploading one your downloads get 2/3 bandwidth and your upload gets 1/3.

I don't know, just a thought.

ADSL2+ 1,5 MB up

In Norway ADSL2+ is allready offered on commercial basis. They sell two packages. One with 25MB down and 1,5 MB up, and one with 12MB down and 1,5MB up. (See - Only in Norwegian -http://www.nextgentel.no/privat/produkter/adsl/ and a comments by a news provider http://www.digi.no/php/art.php?id=210412)

NB: I'm using comma(,) as decimal symbol - as ISO (http://www.iso.ch). so I'm not talking about 1500 MB up ...

[nealda]

Wow. 18 milli-bits per second.

What's a milli-bit, anyway.