NetComm has expanded its Distribution Point Unit (DPU) portfolio, adding new form factors in order to allow for a wider range of deployment models.
Connecting the last part of the fibre network can be the most challenging, with a significant number of homes currently under-served and looking for higher speed alternatives. The company says that reverse powered G.fast DPUs could offer the missing link between the fibre running in the street and the copper lead-in, resolving the major concerns and challenges operators have with other G.fast deployment options.
To avoid the cost of running a powerline to individual units, the DPU can be powered through reverse powering from the customer premises using a Reverse Power Unit (RPU), which can be combined with the modem to make an NTD (Network Termination Device). Reverse Powering multi-port DPUs comes with its own challenges as the DPU needs to be powered even when only one end-user is connected and the power needs to be equally shared when more subscribers are taking on the service. As such, NetComm now has commercially available reverse powered DPUs of 4, 8 and 16 ports in order to cater for different deployment models and multi-dwelling unit sizes.
Last August, NetComm and Openreach successfully demonstrated a reverse powered G.fast 212MHz profile DPU that achieved Gigabit speeds. The company’s 4-port DPUs are currently also in deployment in the NBNCo FTTC network and the 8 and 16 port versions will be introduced early next year.
Said Els Baert, director of marketing and communications at NetComm: ‘G.fast as such is not a new technology, but operators are having difficulties rolling out a G.fast network. Providing power to yet another location in the network has proven to be the biggest challenge. By Reverse Powering the DPU, NetComm has developed a solution that can easily be installed and end-user activated, reducing the cost significantly.’