Openreach Publish Technical Details for the Dark Fibre Access (DFA) Trial

Openreach (BT) has uploaded a new technical information document for their imminent Dark Fibre Access (DFA) trial, which is due to start in August. The document describes how the product works and sets out what solutions will be made available to ISPs.

The new service is based off Openreach’s 1Gbps capable Ethernet Access Direct product (details) and gives rival ISPs “physical access” to the national operator’s existing fibre optic cables (i.e. allows them to “take direct control of the connection“), which means that they can then install their own equipment at either end of the optical fibre within the cable ducts.

Technical details of the DFA solution have now been set out in the new SIN521 (PDF) document. Ofcom claims that DFA could foster more competition and speed-up the roll-out of faster broadband services around the UK (e.g. backhaul capacity for new networks). However big infrastructure builders like BT, Virgin Media, Cityfibre and Zayo fear that it could discourage similar operators from investing to build their own fibre optic networks.

Nevertheless a number of major ISPs, such as TalkTalk and SSE Telecoms, have already confirmed their intention to take part in the imminent trial and the final product is currently still on target for its 1st October 2017 launch.