Could FTTC Bonding be the answer to High-Speed Internet?

Posted by Karen on Feb 19, 2015 12:00:00 AM

Here at Fluidata we continually strive to offer our customers a range of products that provide both high-speed Internet connections and value for money. This is why we have created VOX, BURST and PULSE to name a few, each of which has been designed to provide results regardless of our clients’ requirements or connectivity capabilities. Back in 2012 we launched PUREFLUID PULSE – a system which enables high-speed, Fibre Internet connections similar to leased lines but without the need to implement new lines. Since then, FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) technology has been advancing at a rapid pace, meaning that more and more SMEs are now able to use Fibre technology. Bonded Broadband When it comes to high-speed Internet reliability can sometimes be an issue, which is where bonded broadband comes into play. By using PUREFLUID PULSE clients are able to bond their ADSL and FTTC broadband lines in order to provide SLAs of up to 99.99% - essential in this day and age where a dropped line can cost companies crucial time and investments. This week Virgin Media announced a £3billion investment into infrastructure expansion across the UK including FTTC broadband. From this investment, over 4million homes and SMEs will be given access to FTTC services, however it’s not all good news as the company does not currently have plans to install new cables in rural areas. FTTC Broadband Digital divide campaigners are already pleading with Virgin Media to rethink their plans and install FTTC cable both in towns and cities and rural villages. A spokesperson from the Country and Land Association (CLA) said that the new scheme could "exacerbate the rural-urban digital divide" and added: "What is clear is that rural areas will not be able to access speeds in excess of 30Mbps or 50Mbps for some time to come. All this does is show that the rural economy is neglected once again. “BT's rollout of superfast broadband under the government's rural broadband programme relies on fibre to the cabinet (FTTC). This further disadvantages rural communities and businesses from effective connection speeds, because the further away a business is from the cabinet, the slower the speed." However, there are those that are feeling more positive about Virgin Media’s plans, such as Malcolm Corbett of the Independent Networks Co-operative Association, who said: "With £1.7bn of public funding going almost entirely through BT, it isn't surprising that an investment of this scale is focusing on areas that Virgin expects to see delivering better results.” Meanwhile, Sarah Lee, the Countryside Alliance's head of policy, said that even though it was “disappointing that the improvements will not be seen in rural areas… we welcome this challenge to BT's monopoly. We hope this investment will encourage all broadband providers to look beyond the cityscape and invest in our countryside communities, to enable them to compete economically and socially in this digital world." FTTC Bonding Even though SMEs and households based in rural areas may have to wait to feel the benefits of Virgin Media’s new infrastructure plans, it is still a massive step in the right direction. One way in which SMEs could benefit from this new infrastructure by utilising Fluidata’s Service Exchange Platform, which works with over sixty-five Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to provide high-speed Internet access even to those in the most rural of areas. Meanwhile, companies that are interested in improving their Internet connections and reliability may want to start thinking about how broadband bonding, specifically FTTC bonding, could be utilised in the near future, especially if they are based in areas where Virgin Media will be expanding.

Topics: News