http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/ en-gb Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:00:08 GMT Copyright: (C) Comms Express 2007 http://www.comms-express.com/images/logo.jpg http://www.comms-express.com/ fibre cables to deliver even faster broadband speeds to homes and businesses in urban areas of the UK, it has been revealed.

The telecoms giant is launching fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) broadband on-demand in areas where fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) connections are already available.

This means more customers will be able to sign up for BT's fastest download speeds, which are only achievable through a FTTP connection.

With FTTP, fibre network cables are used both between the telephone exchange and the street cabinet, and the cabinet and the home or business, to maximise the speed of data transfer.

At present, BT is capable of delivering 100Mbps broadband via FTTP network cables, but the company is planning to turn up the speed dial to 300Mbps by spring 2013.

Olivia Garfield, chief executive at BT Openreach, said FTTP on demand is "a significant development for Broadband Britain".

"Essentially, it could make our fastest speeds available wherever we deploy fibre," she explained.

"This will be welcome news for small businesses who may wish to benefit from the competitive advantage that such speeds provide."

News provided by Comms Express, number one for networking news on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/bt-fibre-cables-will-deliver-300mbps-broadband-801289737/ 2012-02-10 14:00:23 computer cables and other accessories during the final quarter of 2011, it has been reported.

According to IT analyst Gartner, just 2.9 million units were shipped in the UK between October and December - which may also have impacted sales of computer cabinets.

This was down 19.6 per cent on the previous year, partly due to economic uncertainty in the eurozone and rising costs at home.

However, growing demand for next-generation devices such as smartphones, tablets and e-readers may have also affected sales over the three-month period.

A decline in computer sales in the UK reflected a general trend witnessed across Western Europe, which showed signs of "underlying weakness".

"PC vendors face a long, uphill struggle to regain the interest of consumers," said Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner.

Across Western Europe, PC shipments fell by 16 per cent between October and December 2011 - a slightly slower rate of contraction than witnessed by the UK market.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for leads and accessories on the net ]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/fewer-personal-computers-shipped-in-uk-during-q4-801287280/ 2012-02-08 13:32:12 network cables are often still the best way of ensuring broadband services are accessible in every room of a building, it has been suggested.

Writing for USA Today, Michael Gray said wireless broadband may now be widely used and very useful, but it has its own downsides and limitations.

"An improperly secured network leaves your internet open to nefarious individuals who might violate your privacy," he noted.

"Also, wireless access is not yet as robust as a wired connection for use with online games, where any interruption to the flow of data can spell doom and gloom."

Mr Gray added that Wi-Fi also won't always penetrate thick walls - especially if the wall isn't standard construction.

And if there are several walls between the router and the device trying to use its signal, Ethernet cables may represent a better alternative.

"Your router probably has jacks on the back for a couple of additional cables. While the cable that came with your computer might only be a few feet long, this type of cable is also available in huge spools," Mr Gray explained.

He said that instead of using a Wi-Fi connection, broadband subscribers can run the Ethernet cable through the walls, floors, and ceilings of their house so that a cable or jack is available in every room.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for network supplies on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/network-cables-can-go-further-than-wi-fi-801286208/ 2012-02-07 15:05:46 fibre cables, the firm has announced.

Jon James, executive director of broadband at the service provider, said the firm was ahead of schedule on its rollout of fibre network cables.

When complete later in 2012, Virgin Media's 100Mb fibre broadband network will be accessible to around half the UK population.

Mr James explained that areas of Bromley, Dundee, Norton Hawkfield in Somerset, and Staverton in Gloucestershire have become the latest locations to receive a broadband speed boost.

"Reaching today's milestone puts us ahead of schedule as we help propel the UK up the global broadband rankings," he claimed.

"Broadband is coming of age as more people give up on slow DSL in favour of super-fast fibre optic speeds."

BT is also rolling out fibre broadband around the UK, investing £2.5 billion upgrading its network of telephone exchanges using fibre cables.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for networking news on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/virgin-media-fibre-cables-rollout-achieves-10m-milestone-801284405/ 2012-02-06 10:16:47 network cables helped increase UK broadband speeds by 22 per cent between November 2010 and 2011, it has been reported.

According to Ofcom, UK households and businesses witnessed a 1.4Mb improvement during the 12-month period, from 6.2Mb to 7.6Mb.

The average broadband speed reported by the media regulator far eclipses the 5.1Mb reported by Akamai at the end of the third quarter of 2011.

Ofcom attributed the rapid rise in download speeds to the fact more people signed up for super-fast broadband packages last year.

The deployment of fibre cables - primarily in major towns and cities - means some Virgin Media and BT customers can now access speeds in advance of 100Mb.

Ofcom's data shows that in November over half (58 per cent) of people had a headline broadband speed of over 10Mb.

Virgin Media offered the highest average download speeds at 49Mb - although fewer than half of UK households and businesses can access the firm's network.

BT Infinity - which is available more widely - had the second highest speeds of around 36Mb.

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As part of its new Infrastructure Action Plan, the Scottish government is aiming to extend broadband networks across the country and achieve a five-fold increase in download speeds.

Up to £185 million of public money could go towards the plan, while private sector investment is also being sought to help reduce the nation's digital divide.

Scottish infrastructure secretary Alex Neil, who announced the plan, said there is "no doubt that digital is the way forward".

"We relish the challenge to put Scotland at the forefront of the digital revolution and make world-class digital infrastructure a reality," he stated.

MSPs are aiming to deliver broadband speeds of 40Mb to 80Mb to 90 per cent of the population by 2015, and this means fibre network cables are likely to be used.

Fibre-to-the-cabinet and fibre-to-the premises broadband is capable of achieving fare greater download speeds than traditional copper networks.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for networking news on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/fibre-cables-could-boost-broadband-in-scotland-801280824/ 2012-02-02 12:12:36 Ethernet cables offer a number of benefits to businesses and organisations constructing networks to deliver power, it has been suggested.

Writing for EET Times, the Microsemi Corporation's Daniel Feldman explained that power over Ethernet offers convenience, flexibility, and enhanced management capabilities to users.

This is because it enables delivery over the same Cat5e cables used to transmit data, he noted.

"The current generation of standards-based technology enables up to 60W of power to be delivered over four pairs of cabling, which also improves efficiency when compared to earlier two-pair solutions," Mr Feldman added.

He said that as the industry moves toward delivering even more power over the Cat5e-and-above cabling infrastructure, system designers and network administrators need to understand the various emerging technology options.

"[These include solutions] developed under the auspices of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and others that bring expensive and cumbersome deployment complications and, potentially, safety risks," Mr Feldman stated.

Earlier this month, L-com's right-angle Ethernet cables won a product of the year award for at the Electronic House Products of the Year awards.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for network cables on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/power-over-ethernet-cables-has-advantages-801279372/ 2012-01-31 12:08:14 fibre cables helped to increase the UK average download speed during the third quarter of 2011.

According to the latest State of the Internet report from Akamai, average download capabilities increased from 5Mbps to 5.1Mbps in the UK between July and September 2011.

Globally, average broadband speeds increased from 2.6Mbps to 2.7Mbps, as investment continued in network equipment around the world.

The fastest countries for broadband tend to be those where fibre cables - rather than copper wires - are used exclusively by internet users.

South Korea, which has a broadband infrastructure based on fibre-optic technology, remains the fastest country in the world for downloads, averaging 16.7Mb.

Hong Kong also has a high proliferation of fibre cables for broadband purposes, helping the state achieve an average broadband speed of 10.7Mbps.

But as internet service providers such as BT and Virgin Media continue to deploy super-fast fibre technology, the UK's average download speed should rise.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for network cables on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/fibre-cables-help-increase-uk-broadband-speeds-801279371/ 2012-01-31 12:07:11 Broadband Expert.

According to the firm, the typical household can reduce their broadband costs by $60 per year (£38) by switching to a tariff which better suits their needs.

Consumers can use Broadband Expert to check for the availability of cable, satellite and fixed broadband providers in their area, helping them to pick the most suitable deal.

Rob Webber, chief executive officer at Broadband Expert, said this enables households to make a more informed purchase and save money where there is choice.

"Ultimately choice and competition between providers is healthy for the consumer," he stated.

"As this increases, as we predict it will, Broadband Expert will be well positioned to help consumers change providers and save money."

In the UK, the government wants every community to have access to a minimum of 2Mbps broadband by 2015, with 90 per cent of the population able to access super-fast broadband.

The Con-Lib coalition has set aside £530 million to part-fund the rollout of broadband fibre cables in rural areas, helping the countryside to catch up with towns and cities on high-speed internet coverage.

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The extension will mean that around 15,000 homes and businesses benefit from broadband speeds described as "lightening fast".

So far the fibre cables have been tested at homes in the Woodmansey and Great Thornton Street areas and by the end of the year a greater number of residents will be able to access speeds of up to 100Mb, rather than the previous top level of 10Mb.

KC chief executive Kevin Walsh said: "We've embarked on this ambitious fibre roll-out programme to give our customers the best-connected homes and businesses in the UK.

"This will give them access to the world of information, communication and entertainment that the internet offers at lightning speeds."

Hull is not the only area where people will soon be accessing faster broadband speeds, it was recently reported that Leicestershire County Council has made a further £4 million in public money available for the rollout of fibre broadband in the region's rural areas.

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The money adds to the £3.8 million already allocated to Leicestershire and Rutland by government agency Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) in 2011.

This money - part of the government's £530 million rural broadband fund - is designed to help county councils deliver a minimum of 2Mb broadband to remote communities.

With few private sector broadband providers willing to lay fibre cables in unprofitable parts of the countryside, the coalition is using public money to reduce the digital divide.

The combined BDUK and LCC funds will help around 170,000 homes and businesses gain access to high-speed broadband, the council said.

David Parsons, leader of LCC, said it is "vital" that everyone works together to boost rural broadband speeds, to boost the local economy.

"Rural communities and businesses can play a major role in the county’s future, if they have the high speed connections they need," he stated.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for network cables on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/lcc-adds-4m-to-broadband-fibre-cables-budget-801268821/ 2012-01-19 10:08:13 network cables, it has been reported.

Cisco columnist Steven Shepard noted that underground waste networks are being used in many countries to get vital telecommunications kit from A to B.

He said the cost of digging up streets to lay cables is prohibitive to the majority of service providers, and the sewage system can offer a cheaper and less disruptive alternative.

Mr Shepard noted that fibre cables have already been laid in London, Birmingham, Tokyo, Paris, Sydney, Melbourne, New York and San Francisco, to name but a few major cities.

"All have high-speed optical transport running through their underground waste facilities," he noted.

"The UK alone has more than 360,000 miles of underground sewer conduit - it makes economic sense to take advantage of it."

Mr Shepard claimed that sewers may become increasingly important to telecoms providers as demand for super-fast broadband continues to increase.

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According to the Shetland Times, a new £1.1 million fibre cable is set to deliver next-generation internet services to a number of communities, including Sandwick, Cunningsburgh, Quarff and Gulberwick.

However, each of the communities will have use of its own fibre network equipment to link to the main cable in order to access super-fast broadband.

Shetland Broadband chief Ian Brown said many of his customers, and potential new clients, were "desperate" to get their hands on more internet bandwidth.

He said connecting to the cable should also minimise the number of damaging service interruptions which have blighted Shetland communities in the past.

"In the last few months in particular, I've heard large businesses saying they do need bandwidth to improve their service, and they're desperate to get that provision," Mr Brown stated.

"I've felt for the last two or three years that we've been held back on further development of our business, and our customers."

News provided by Comms Express, number one for networking news on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/fibre-cable-links-shetland-up-to-super-fast-broadband-801265363/ 2012-01-16 13:15:48
According to IDC, the EMEA networking channel market is a dynamic environment that is constantly evolving, fuelled by new technologies, changing customer demands, an alternate vendor landscape and an uncertain economy.

The analyst said cloud computing - which covers shared access to virtualised resources and remote data cabinet storage - is becoming increasingly important for businesses.

"The broad interest in cloud computing is understandable, considering that it enables IT organisations to become more cost-efficient and agile," said Sylvia Wünsche, IDC research analyst for European telecommunications and networking.

Companies are centralising their applications, servers, data, and storage resources, and dynamically moving their resources, or virtual machines, she added.

IDC said IT is increasingly being delivered as a service rather than in the form of capital expenditure on physical assets.

"Cloud computing fuels this and impacts the traditional channel landscape," the analyst stated.

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The broadband provider, which has been rolling out a fibre-optic based network since December 2010, is to carry out upgrades over the next month.

Consumers who currently receive 10Mbps downloads will gain access to 20Mbps, while those on the firm's 20Mbps, 30Mbps and 50Mbps tariffs will also see their capabilities increase two-fold.

Those using the ultra-fast 100Mbps service will also receive a boost to 120Mbps - which will be the top speed deliverable over Virgin Media fibre network cables.

Neil Berkett, chief executive of the broadband provider, said the burgeoning market for better connectivity has given the firm "an opportunity to transform the digital experience of millions of customers".

The upgrade will bring about "a massive step change" in the number of UK consumers who have access to exciting, next-generation services, he stated.

Mr Berkett said Virgin Media has a track record of leading Britain's digital development and this "major initiative" will meet the growing demand for faster broadband, and deliver greater value to consumers.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for network cables on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/virgin-media-ups-broadband-speeds-using-fibre-cables-801262673/ 2012-01-12 13:19:11 fibre cables is helping businesses and consumers in the developing world to take advantage of the internet, it has been reported.

Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL) said the African nation is reaping the benefits of fibre technology, which includes cables and fibre optic patch leads.

The deployment of next-generation networking equipment has both helped improve internet services and increase affordability, the firm told the Business Times.

Esther Masi, product manager at MTL Business-Plus, said the international links facilitated by fibre optic cables have "several advantages" over the satellite services used elsewhere.

Including higher bandwidth at more affordable prices, greater reliability and fast transmission are among the advantages, she claimed.

"The links have allowed [us] to provide good quality voice and internet services to customers who include individuals, residential, businesses as well as other telecommunication and internet service providers," Ms Masi noted.

In the UK, a number of broadband providers - including BT, Virgin Media and KC - are rolling out fibre cables to deliver improved broadband services in their network areas.

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Research analyst Gartner expects to see a spending increase of 3.7 per cent to a total of $3.8 trillion (£2.45 trillion), as more firms invest in racks, computer cabinets,  cables and other equipment.

In 2011, IT spending rose 6.9 per cent to a total of $3.8 trillion (£2.38 trillion), the firm said.

All four major technology sectors - computing hardware, enterprise software, IT services and telecommunications equipment and services - are predicted to see a rise in spending.

However, the rate of growth will be slower than originally predicted by Gartner, owing to the effects of faltering global economic growth, the eurozone crisis and the impact of Thailand's floods on hard-disk drive production.

Of the IT sub-sector, telecom equipment spending - which includes network cables - is projected to show the strongest growth.

Worldwide, revenue in this area is projected to increase by 6.9 per cent in 2012.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for networking industry news on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/it-spending-set-to-increase-in-2012-801257355/ 2012-01-06 12:37:43 HP is aiming to take giant strides forward in the networking industry during 2012, and challenge Cisco for market leadership.

Speaking to EnterpriseNetworkingPlanet, Saar Gillai, chief technology officer at HP Networking, explained that the firm has now fully integrated 3Com - acquired for around £2 billion in 2010 - into the business.

As such, the business is ready for further expansion over the coming 12 months.

"We're starting to see some interesting transitions in terms of the data centre turning into a fabric and we're seeing mobility becoming even more important," he stated.

"There is also an upgrade cycle that hasn't happened in a long time and people have fairly old equipment in the campus, so it's the beginning of a pretty big transition for networking."

Mr Saar said the data centres of the last decade were mostly about core connectivity, but the cloud is changing things, making networks more fundamental for application delivery.

"There is also now a stronger emphasis on multi-path concurrent bandwidth and that's different from the things that historically happened on campus networks," he added.

With regards future targets for the firm, Mr Saar said HP would like to be number one in all the markets it participates in - laying down a challenge to Cisco to remain at the head of the field.

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The firm is set to deliver super-fast internet services to Hemsworth, South Elmsall and other communities in 2012 using fibre cables.

Speeds of up to 80Mbps will be achievable through fibre-to-the-cabinet broadband, and potentially up to 300Mbps where fibre network cables run direct to the business or household.

According to Ofcom, the average broadband speed achievable in the UK is currently just 6.8Mbps.

Councillor Peter Box, leader of Wakefield Council, told the Hemsworth and South Elmsall Express that the importance of BT's fibre broadband announcement to the economy of Wakefield cannot be underestimated.

"It is good news for our district," he stated, noting that many communities around the city will receive improved broadband services.

“Access to fast broadband is vital for local businesses and households. It gives employers a competitive edge and provides access to new markets with the potential of new jobs."

News provided by Comms Express, number one for networking news on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/network-cables/fibre-cables-to-improve-west-yorkshire-broadband-801253685/ 2012-01-03 15:06:03 Cat5e cables over signal transmission cables, it has been claimed.

Writing for eHow, Brenda Priddy explained that the network equipment is seen in several different technology fields including computers, telephones and television.

She explained that cat5 are the lowest cost cables used for commercial cameras and networking, as they can transmit up to four signals at once.

"This means that less cable has to be used to transmit signals between cameras or computers that are close together," Ms Priddy stated.

Cat5e cables are also some of the easiest to install, as it is not necessary to cut them, she added.

Ms Priddy highlighted the versatility of the cables as another main advantage, as they can be used for transmitting video, audio, internet and telephone signals.

Dana Puopolo, chief engineer at Philadelphia radio station WURD(AM), recently told Radio World how that cat5e cables helped broadcast shows after wind caused damage to the main transmitter.

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