KPN announced plans to start testing in October Vplus technology supporting download speeds up to 400 Mbps over the copper network. The initial tests in Haarlem and Rotterdam will use one copper pair, allowing speeds of up to 200 Mbps download and 30 Mbps upload. With two copper pairs, so-called pair bonding, the speeds can be doubled in future.
To achieve the higher speeds, the amount of spectrum used will also increase, from 17 to 35 MHz. The faster speeds also depend on the customer's distance from the street cabinet; the closer the customer, the faster the connection.
KPN expects that the current technology developments will make it possible in future to deliver 1 Gbps, using a combination of fibre and copper. The Dutch operator has already tested Vplus in the lab and at one address, and the next tests will take place across a residential neighbourhood.
