In a move which could see significant changes in the short to medium term Ericsson has announced a successful trial of its new broadband technology which has seen speeds of up to 500Mbps reached over short distances. The beauty of the new system is the fact that it is compatible with existing copper wire networks across the UK and should be fairly easy to implement as and when ready to roll into the marketplace.
The only downside at the moment is the fact that the broadband speeds of up to 500Mbps are only available over very short distances although even this will have its uses. Those who have studied the broadband market will be well aware that much of the speed available from broadband providers is lost over the “last mile” between your local telephone exchange and your home. However, using the new Ericsson broadband technology it should be possible to greatly improve the efficiency of the infamous “last mile” and see significant increases in overall broadband speeds.
As the likes of British Telecom begin to build a fibre optic network throughout the UK the new technology from Ericsson could offer something of a stopgap until the fibre-optic system is available around 2012.