Pilot program expected to run until March 2016
The company responsible for building the National Broadband Network, nbn, has released a test agreement to service providers who intend to participate in an end-user HFC pilot which is expected to begin on or around 1st November 2015. In the document, nbn states that they will use the pilot to “test NBN Co’s delivery of a Layer 2 NEBS to End User premises through the use of HFC technology, which will assist NBN Co to develop a commercial HFC Product.”
Like the current Fibre to the Premises network, nbn will install a Network Termination Device (NTD) at the end user’s premises. However, this device will only have a single data port for interfacing with the NBN network. The device will also neglect the voice port (UNI-V) found in the Fibre to the Premises NTD.
The pilot will enable service providers to provide trial services only to their existing HFC, copper phone line or DSL customers within the pilot HFC footprint.
nbn intends to end the pilot by 15 March 2016. According to the latest Integrated Product Roadmap, nbn expects their HFC product to officially launch in the second quarter of 2016. [HFC Pilot Test Description]
