CenturyLink recently announced that it will be outfitting more than 40 multi-dwelling buildings in Platteville, WI, with 500 Mbps G.fast service, challenging the cable industry’s gigabit business offerings without having to install fiber. The company used the template it established in Omaha, NE, connecting to an existing fiber network with coaxial wiring. CenturyLink expects to have nearly 11 million broadband-enabled units hooked up (at speeds greater than 40 Mbps) by the end of 2018, and G.fast is a key part of the expansion process.
Industry analysts see the emergence of G.fast as a boon to telecom firms like CenturyLink, especially as the technology spreads from its roots in the consumer segment and spreads to the business sector. “(G.fast) certainly gives telcos the ability to counter the ultra-broadband (including gigabit) marketing claims of cable operators, without having to invest in a full FTTH upgrade,” said one. “Actually, for many operators, G.fast will be beyond near-term, i.e., giving them a mid- to long-term ability to deliver ultra-broadband for up to a decade.”
