Seventeen months after unveiling technology to bring fiber-like characteristics to copper, Actelis Networks last week announced the availability of a product and a customer.

Actelis' MetaLoop technology enables multiple copper lines to support speeds ranging from 10M bit/sec to 55M bit/sec, at up to 12,000 to 18,000 feet - capabilities usually associated only with fiber. MetaLoop is intended to serve customers who don't have access to fiber.

MetaLoop is a patented spatial division multiplexing algorithm introduced by Actelis in May 2001.

Actelis also announced that incumbent local exchange carrier Cincinnati Bell is using MetaLoop. Cincinnati Bell put Actelis' new product, the MetaLight 1500 "supermodem," as the vendor describes it, into its network just over a month ago to serve two customers that wanted high-speed connections but didn't have access to fiber lines.

The carrier plans to use MetaLoop for two purposes. The first is as a permanent substitute for fiber lines in cases where it isn't economical to install a fiber line; the second is as an interim connection for customers that need to wait weeks or months to have fiber lines installed.

 MetaLoop, which is based on G.SHDSL technology, can reach up to 18,000 feet from a carrier central office, which makes it applicable to last-mile connections to enterprises, backhaul for cellular towers, or backhaul for DSL access multiplexers.

Each MetaLight 1500 device has one DS-3 interface and four DS-1 interfaces. They are designed to be fully redundant with extra control and line card modules, fans and power.

The cost for two boxes will range from $15,000 to $30,000.

Actelis was founded in 1998 and has raised $77 million to date, which should last into 2004, company officials say.