http://www.buddeblog.com.au/frompaulsdesk/nbns-not-so-fast-g-fast/Part of the problem is that the technology uses a much larger frequency range of signal processing bandwidth than other copper technologies over a much shorter copper length. Some of these overlap those used by commercial VDSL, so running both technologies together causes interference. Another problem is the extra power supply that is needed for the nodes that need to be deployed within this technology.
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The problem with G.Fast is that it needs 2 copper pairs of near new copper - which 99% of Australian homes do not have.
To get it to work we need to roll out new copper lines.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/10/21/3044463.htmAnd fibre optics can definitely transfer more data at higher throughput over longer distances than copper wire. For example, a local area network using modern copper lines can carry 3000 telephone calls all at once, while a similar system using fibre optics can carry over 31,000.
With copper wires you're looking at changes in the electromagnetic field, the intensity of that field and perhaps the phase of the wave being sent down a wire.
"With fibre optics, a transmitter converts electronic information into pulses of light — a pulse equates to a one, while no pulse is zero. When the signal reaches the other end, an optical receiver converts the light signal back into electronic information," explains Malaney.
The throughput of the data is determined by the frequency range that a cable will carry — the higher the frequency range, the greater the bandwidth and the more data that can be put through per unit time.
And this is the key difference — fibre optic cables have much higher bandwidths than copper cables.
"Optical fibre can carry much higher frequency ranges — note that light is a very high frequency signal — while copper wire attenuates or loses signal strength at higher frequencies," says Malaney.
Also, fibre optic technology is far less susceptible to noise and electromagnetic interference than electricity along a copper wire.
"You can send the signal for over 200 kilometres without any real loss of quality while a copper cable signal suffers a lot of degradation over that distance," says Malaney.
"Fibre optics lets you look at new applications in areas like medical examinations, government services, improved productivity, telecommuting, three-dimensional conferencing and working from home.
"Current technology is already looking at terabyte speeds and things will only get faster in the future.
"If 90 per cent of homes are connected to the NBN it will cause a paradigm shift with new ideas and innovations, things we haven't even thought about yet."
It really is a no brainer - FTTdp or FTTP is what we really need.