How long will ADSL last?

Obviously only applies to exchanges that have fibre, but with the push now towards fibre products and more exchanges having fibre, how long before adsl2+ stops getting offered by ISPs and before the adsl signal gets "switched off" simliar to how the onld 20CN was?

Edited by bobble_bob (Wed 17-Sep-14 08:33:50)

There are plenty of exchanges still only on 20CN, so that hasn't been "switched off" yet...

Oh yea i get that, but those that are 21CN enabled have been. Just wonder when the same will happen with 21CN and fibre

Ten years or more

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Ten years or more

At least ...

Friends are on an exchange with less than 50 customers - business and residential together. They have ADSL Max ... with no plans to put in ADSL2+ or VDSL2 as in most cases there would be no improvement. They are a mixture of EO lines and those fed from cabinets housing just 2, 3 or 4 lines with cabinets to premises lines of 2km. FTTP would be extortionately expensive. So, unless something else comes along, they are stuck.

Cannot see it myself. It needs everyone to be able to have a fibre connection on an exchange - which is light years away

I'm sure that somewhere down the line, the smallest exchanges will go FTTP+FVA, with head-end based in a remote exchange. Then the exchange building can be closed, as it is no longer needed.

There was a trial of a fibre-only exchange at Deddington. The copper remains there for now, but I'm sure this is the way ahead. So many small exchanges (which probably only house a remote concentrator for voice, rather than a full exchange) only exist because of the distance limitations of copper.

But the act of getting rid of copper entirely has to be notified in advance (I think at least 5 years) so that LLU operators get a chance to plan ahead.

And who will pick up the cost of installing 10km fibre runs - underground, to supply just one or two customers?

Never, while there is a need for broadband for some the only option will be adsl. Unless of course some new technology comes out that bypasses the need for any kind of telephone line.

WiFi in my opinion will slowly creep in as the standard however Openreach will do their best to deter this.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

Ten years or more

I think ADSL 20CN will be retired soon in five years time. I don't think it will be ten years or more. All ADSL 20CN will move onto ADSL2+ 21CN.