EFTel will be introducing VDSL2 to at least 70 exchanges early next year. For the uninitiated, VDSL2 is essentially an extension or 'upgrade' to the current ADSL2 service in that VDSL2 is capable of speeds up to 100Mbps based on utilization of higher frequencies (above 2.2Mhz) on the copper line.
This is a double edged sword for many MANY reasons, not just from an end user point of view but from an ISP side too.
On the one hand it is good to see, from an end user's point of view, new technologies being implement in what would have to be considered a small population density such as Australia. Australia has always seemed to be mentioned, indeed at the forefront of innovation and delivering innovation to the market in certain areas, medicine you can most definitely add to the list.
The problem lies in the way this technology will be received,provisioned and managed as it grows stature.
I can tell you the same euphoria of 'internet speed goodness' came hurtling to the populace like Zeus' thunderbolt when ADSL2 was introduced and having effectively monitored the distribution, provisioning and processes of this product over 12 months I can already foresee the same underlying problems and ordeals only on an even bigger scale. Namely;
- Customer satisfaction and expectation of service.
- Supplier delivery and consistency.
- Service qualification checks
- Cost (Of which I would not have the faintest of clues)
If this isn't enough of a barrier to entry
a report by Dr Paul Brooks has indicated that in addition to the already stringent distance parameter, crosstalk - a phenomena where adjacent signals can interfere with each other,distorting the signal becomes more of a concern, particularly at higher frequencies. Fortunately, there are no other technologies that are permitted to transmit at these kind of frequencies...except of course, OTHER VDSL2 SERVICES. I will be interested when competitors distribute on the same exchanges how this will be handled.
Bandwidth consumption would also be something to consider, especially how backhaul providers and the network will cope assuming these much higher speeds are met. You only have to go back to the days when broadband was introduced via UNLIMITED and genuinely UNLIMITED plans;those days are long and buried and I can only see the already strained networks become even more burdened with increasing bandwidth costs.
All these things aside, I'm most complacent about customer expectation, and to a degree I think we (we meaning the industry) exaggerate what realistically is capable. There are so many factors unbeknown to the average joe when provisioning ADSL technology that what they THOUGHT they could receive they actually DON'T get.
John has a valid point about the effects of a new high speed service, and based on ADSL2 at least, I fear I can only see this effect heightened.