BT Wholesale demonstrate further improvements with 21CN
BT Wholesale assembled journalists from a wide range of technology websites at it’s Gatwick offices yesterday as we begin the countdown to the launch of Wholesale Broadband Connect in six weeks. BT were keen to demonstrate the plethora of new techniques designed to help improve broadband throughput on the new 21CN-based wholesale product.
They began by demonstrating how simply changing your ADSL modem could have a dramatic impact on your throughput; one such demonstration showed a 20% reduction in speed just by changing modem on a standard ADSL line. Another test showed how a faulty power supply on a fluorescent light caused one line to drop from around 4Mbps to just 470kbps. Whilst these effects will not be news to many familiar with broadband, it is important to realise that the effects would be even more pronounced on an ADSL2+ line.
Forcing end users to use specific hardware is not an option for BT Wholesale, although they will be publishing minimum hardware requirements and providing testing facilities for ISPs to test their chosen equipment. An upgraded WOOSH system (the system that BT and their ISPs use to diagnose line faults) offered vastly improved details on both the connection speed and stability of a users connection.
But perhaps the most impressive innovation came in the form of the interstitial plate. This small box greatly reduces the impact of electrical interference and can be installed without the need to disconnect any wires when fitting it. Note that a standard ADSL filter is still required as well though.
This neat solution was demonstrated in conjunction with the faulty fluorescent light too and saw the connection speed climb back up to 3.6Mbps from 470kbps - a massive improvement. Of course, this is an extreme example and just a demonstration; your mileage will vary. BT conceded that the new filters may not be ready for mass production by launch at the end of April, but they were hoping to make them available to ISPs soon after at a very low price.
The afternoon was wrapped up with a proof of concept demonstration of video content distribution in the 21CN network. Using Assured Rate QoS, BT showed how content could be distributed from the core, from one of their 20 aggregation points or from the MSANs themselves (which will be present in all exchanges in the UK). Distribution at this level is made possible by using multicast, which is not available on the current BT IPStream product range.
Tags: BT Wholesale
