3 ms·

Copper can still play a role. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.fast https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.fast

• Godel_unicode 9y ago
  From Wikipedia: "...for local loops shorter than 500 m"
  • maltalex 9y ago
    It's doable in many cities. A large part of the infrastructure you need to replace when upgrading is inside buildings. With a 500m radius, you can avoid rewiring buildings and have loops terminate in the street.
    • selectodude 9y ago
      Depends on how old the copper is, though. If it needs to be replaced, you might as well run metro ethernet or FTTH.
  • philjohn 9y ago
    g.fast is good for more densely populated areas, which is why it'll work quite well in the UK if BT ever get around to rolling it out properly - 90% of consumer premises are within 500m of a street side cabinet.
• mjevans 9y ago
  I consider that 'the option' for when a building owner refuses to re-wire with something that can be serviced by metro-Ethernet. Ethernet is, of course, ~90-100 meters (not 500) but most MDUs need to have utility closets/areas within 100 meters for other reasons anyway; so you often there can either be copper or fiber back-haul links past that first switch. The major pain point is probably neighborhoods where the exposure to outside conditions means increased likelihood of some idiot trenching incorrectly and/or disasters where high voltage might come across the line (making fiber to at least the side of the building preferable for safety reasons).
  • walshemj 9y ago
    There are long range versions of Ethernet
    • Johnythree 9y ago
      But not on phone lines (Cat1, voice-grade copper), and not without active repeaters.