EFTel expands its network with Nextep DSLAMs

Stuart Corner
Monday, 17 November 2008 05:27

Business IT - Networking

EFTel (ASX: EFT) has become the exclusive provider of services on DSLAM infrastructure of Nextep Broadband which it will use to increase the footprint of its own DSLAM network.

EFTel claims that the deal will give it "exclusive access to Nextep's MPORT DSLAM infrastructure in approximately 80 telephone exchanges," and will expand its DSLAM network by 55 new exchanges taking the total footprint to 125 exchanges.

Nextep already offers wholesale DSL services on its own DSLAM network but EFTel COO, John Lane, told iTWire that these were business grade SHDSL services on a separate network to the MPORT DSLAMs that EFTel will use.

EFTel will be the exclusive provider of services on these DSLAMs and will be responsible for providing backhaul over its own network. According to Lane their present ATM backhaul links are inadequate to meet anticipated demand and will be replaced with ethernet backhaul.

EFTel will sell services on the network to both its own end user customers and will wholesale them to other ISPs.

According to Lane Nextep's MPORT DSLAMs were installed over two years ago under plans by Nextep to wholesale DSL services, initially, he believed through People Telecom, but he understood that deal had fallen through and the DSLAMs have been sitting largely unused ever since. People Telecom did announce in January 2006 plans to offer DSL services on Nextep DSLAMs.

EFTel announced in late 2007 plans to install VDSL2 capable DSLAMs in 70 exchanges at the rate of 15 per month from February 2008  and to launch a VDSL2 service under the name 'BroadbandNext'. Lane said about 60 installations had been completed and installations in the final four of these 70 exchanges have been approved.
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