Broadband News

Sky Broadband launches UK’s first 100Gb optical network

Monday 16 January, 2012

By Duncan Heaney

Sky Broadband first network to reach speeds of 100Gb.

Here’s some interesting news for Sky Broadband customers. Its owner BSkyB has launched a 100Gb optical network - the first in the UK to hit that speed.

Sky hopes that the upgrade will make it faster and easier for customers to download large files, including high-definition (HD) video. That’s a growing concern for broadband providers in the UK - the rise of online video streaming, through catch-up and on-demand services like BBC iPlayer and Netflix, means that networks have to be able to handle ever-increasing volumes of data.

The new 100Gb network was delivered by telecommunications company Alcatel-Lucent, and based on innovations from its Bell Labs research and development subsidiary. This technology supports staggeringly fast data speeds of 100Gb per second on each of the 88 wavelengths of an optical fibre.

The new system was deployed on the existing Sky Broadband optical network, in what was described by the company as a “relatively simple, quick and cost-effective in-service network upgrade”.

Mohamed Hammady, director of Sky Network Services, said: “Millions of Sky customers use our broadband network to enjoy video and other high bandwidth services.”

Hammady was also keen to stress that the new network was free from any form of traffic management. “We can do this because of the investment we make in our state-of-the-art, all-fibre core trunk network”, he said.

Sky is not the only provider looking to boost its network. Last week, Virgin Media announced it was to double its broadband speeds for over four million customers. The upgrades start next month, and should be completed by the middle of 2013.