NetCologne Selects ZTE to launch commercial Gigabit Network over G.fast

ZTE Corporation has supported German fiber network operator NetCologne to launch the world’s first commercial Gigabit network over G.fast@ 212MHz profile solution. It enables NetCologne’s residential customers to subscribe to high-speed data internet connectivity up to 1 Gigabit.

NetCologne is committed to providing the city of Cologne and associated regions with reliable and future-proofed telecom services. It has its own four high-performance data centers and its service portfolio ranges from voice and data services to the distribution of TV services, for both residential and business users, as well as leading business ICT solutions.

“This month, we started to offer ultra high-speed data flat rate of 1Gbps in our commercial network to more than 250,000 residential customers,” said Timo von Lepel, Managing Director of NetCologne. “In doing so, we continue to expand Cologne’s leading position as Germany's most digital city.”

“Providing the world’s first network on G.fast@ 212Mhz solution is a giant technical milestone,” explained Sun Jie, Managing Director of ZTE Deutschland. “It underlines ZTE’s leading position in broadband technologies and our aim to support NetCologne to be a leading supplier of Gigabit connectivity in Germany.”

NetCologne and ZTE signed an agreement on a strategic partnership in February 2017. According to the agreement, ZTE will provide NetCologne with advanced network equipment including G.fast distribution point units (DPUs) and terminals. ZTE and NetCologne showcased the access rate of G.fast@ 212MHz profile reaching more than 1.8Gbps (the download rate is over 1.6 Gbps and the upload rate is about 0.2 Gbps) on May 31, 2017 at the AngaCom exhibition in Cologne. ZTE’s G.fast solution was developed to enable NetCologne’s fibre-to-the-building (FttB) access network to enter the Gigabit era.

To date, ZTE has made remarkable achievements in the field of G.fast via continuous investment in technological innovation. In April 2019, ZTE provided NetCologne with the industry’s first G.fast@ 212Hz profile DPUs. It is the industry’s first G.fast device that supports the highest secure-level ETSI SR2-compliant reverse power feeding (RPF) among its 8L/16L counterparts. Furthermore, its unique 6-in-1 uplink mode (GE, GPON, 10GE, XG-PON, XGS-PON and 35b bonding) can flexibly address diverse application requirements. It also supports multiple power supply models, which means it can self-adapt to multiple scenarios.

Supported by ZTE’s G.fast solution, NetCologne can provide 1Gbps ultra-broadband access based on reusing the existing copper resources without requiring fiber construction in the residential network, which will save the reconstruction/civil work investment and keep NetCologne competitive in the market.

With great commitment to innovating on fibre/copper technology, the company has deployed more than 10 million lines of fibre/copper integrated products worldwide. Its G.fast offerings has been put into commercial use in Japan, Germany, and been tested or trialed by over 30 operators all over the world.