* BellSouth's broadband tune-up is based on VDSL2 technology
BellSouth will reportedly turn up 50Mbps broadband access service next year, based on VDSL2 technology.
According to Investor’s Business Daily, BellSouth plans to offer the service to 10% of the households it serves, or about 1.35 million users, in the second half of 2007. The service will be offered where BellSouth has already laid fiber to within 250 feet of homes as part of its fiber-to-the-curb strategy.Most of the upgrade will be completed in 2008, IBD reports, citing information provided by the carrier to state regulators and an interview with BellSouth CTO Bill Smith. Smith is also quoted in the article saying the service could reach 80Mbps.
Currently, the highest speed DSL service BellSouth offers to homes and businesses is 6Mbps.
Aside from the 1.35 million homes to receive the 50Mbps, most other residences in BellSouth’s region are targeted for 20Mbps to 25Mbps ADSL2+ service.
The service is designed to thwart inroads by cable companies, which currently offer high-end speeds between 6Mbps and 16Mbps.
Among other Bells, Verizon offers broadband speeds of 5Mbps, 15Mbps and 30Mbps as part of its FiOS service, which runs fiber right up to the home. Verizon also offers 50Mbps FiOS in a few areas.
