How the NBN will unleash even higher speeds on existing cables

NBN Co is set to achieve a world first by adopting technology that will be able to provide gigabit speeds over existing HFC (hybrid fibre coaxial) cables across Australia.

NBN Co will be one of the first telecommunications companies in the world to introduce DOCSIS 3.1 – also known as Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification – from 2017.

This means more than three million homes and businesses in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast that already have access to existing Telstra and Optus HFC cables will be able to enjoy download speeds of up to 10Gbps per second.

At that speed you can download a song in half a second or a high definition movie in 10 seconds.

Apart from faster download speeds, DOCSIS 3.1 also supports upload speeds of 1Gbps and can deliver up to 50 per cent more data than is possible over the current cable network.

“NBN will utilise a network that is already deployed across millions of homes and businesses in Australia,” says NBN chief technology officer Dennis Steiger.

“By re-architecting the ratio of homes to a node and the use of the latest technology underpinning DOCSIS 3.1, Australia’s HFC network will become one of the most state-of-the-art technologies used to deploy broadband services.

“Effectively, this technology has the potential to offer speeds equivalent to what’s on offer by full fibre to the premises and up to 100 times faster (up to 10Gbps) than what is currently provided by today’s HFC network.

“It’s the same philosophy that’s driving our entire multi-technology rollout. All the technologies we’re using have an upgrade path to deliver higher speeds and greater capacity. That’s good news for families and businesses.”