10 Gb/s Access - Introducing the XG-fast Concept

Traditionally, copper network operators complement a Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) strategy with a hybrid fiber-copper deployment in which fiber is gradually brought closer to the consumer, and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology is used on the remaining copper. In this paper, we introduce the concept of XG-fast, a technology capable of delivering 10 Gb/s connection speeds over short copper pairs. Single-subscriber XG-fast devices allow increasing the speed of a nation-wide roll out of FTTH services, by overcoming the hurdles accompanying a traditional FTTH rollout. XG-fast should therefore be considered as an integrated component of the FTTH deployment. Using transceiver hardware, we show that multiple-gigabit speeds are achievable over typical drop lengths from front yard to customer premises equipment of up to 30 m. When an additional pair is available, the reach of the 10 Gb/s service can be extended by exploiting bonding and phantom mode. We describe a crosstalk cancellation scheme that exploits two-sided coordination of such bonded group. We assess the digital and analog complexity of XG-fast, forecasting when the technology could become commercially viable.