EXFO Supports Openreach on G.fast Pilot

EXFO's MaxTester 635G test set provides engineers at Openreach, BT's local network division, with the necessary tool to install and maintain G.fast and VDSL2 circuits.

QUEBEC CITY, Oct. 13, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - EXFO Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO), (TSX: EXF) today announced that it will supply Openreach, BT's local network business, with its first batch of MaxTester 635G (MAX-635G). The G.fast test set can be used to install and maintain G.fast and VDSL2 circuits and will assist Openreach with its G.fast pilot later this year. The pilot will see ultrafast speeds provided to 25,000 premises in Cherry Hinton, Cambridgeshire and Gillingham, Kent.

G.fast is a cutting edge technology that allows delivery of ultrafast speeds over existing fibre to the cabinet lines using an extended bandwidth up to 106MHz. This allows operators to deploy ultrafast speeds with an incredible data rate of up to 1Gb/s over normal twisted pair telecom lines. This new technology is a pillar of the strategy many operators have to take ultrafast speeds to as many homes and businesses as possible, in the fastest possible timeframe.

The MAX-635G is the first in-field handheld tester that is designed specifically for ultrafast broadband applications. It supports ITU-T G.9700 and G.9701 recommendations as well as current VDSL2 and ADSL2+ technologies. It is also compatible with the latest VDSL2-35b and G.fast technologies as well as previous ADSL, ADSL2+ and VDSL2-8/12/17/30 interfaces.

With more than 30,000 units sold worldwide to address installation, activation, maintenance and troubleshooting applications, the new MAX-635G extends the diagnostic capabilities to VDSL2-35b and G.fast while maintaining the industry-leading usability, ease of use and ability to seamlessly integrate into operators' OSS systems and workflow process.  

Peter Bell, Director Network Portfolio, Openreach said "G.fast builds on our existing investment in fibre and after initial trials, our G.fast pilot will see us bringing ultrafast speeds to 25,000 premises in Cherry Hinton and Gillingham in 16/17. EXFO will supply the first batch of testers, which means we are able to test and verify our ultrafast network to a high standard."

Stéphane Chabot, EXFO's Test and Measurement Vice-President said "EXFO is proud to provide Openreach with best-in-class test equipment to ensure its copper and fibre infrastructure is of the highest quality. We are seeing significant interest from all our customers concerning the deployment of new G.fast technology solutions who are attracted by its ultrafast speeds, which can be achieved more economically than full fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) deployments."

The MAX-635G will be on display in the Broadband Pavilion, D30, at the Broadband World Forum on October 18-20, 2016, in London.

For more information on this solution, please visit EXFO.com/MAX-635G.

About Openreach
Openreach is responsible for the last mile of the UK access network – the copper wires and fibre connecting homes and businesses to their local telephone exchanges. Openreach provides communications providers with services and products associated with that network.

About BT
BT's purpose is to use the power of communications to make a better world. It is one of the world's leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in 180 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband, TV and internet products and services; and converged fixed-mobile products and services. BT consists of six customer-facing lines of business: Consumer, EE, Business and Public Sector, Global Services, Wholesale and Ventures, and Openreach. For the year ended 31 March 2016, BT Group's reported revenue was £19,042m with reported profit before taxation of £3,029m.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. For more information, visit www.btplc.com.

About EXFO
EXFO provides communications service providers (CSPs) with test orchestration and 3D analytics solutions to ensure the smooth deployment, maintenance and management of next-generation, physical, virtual, fixed and mobile networks. The company has also forged strong relationships with network equipment manufacturers (NEMs) to develop deep expertise that migrates from the lab to the field and beyond. EXFO's key differentiation comes from combining intelligent, automated and cloud-based test and monitoring solutions with real-time analytics to deliver unmatched end-to-end visibility and assurance—from a network, services and end-user level. EXFO is no. 1 in portable optical testing and boasts the largest active service assurance deployment worldwide. For more information, visit www.EXFO.com and follow us on the EXFO Blog.

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SOURCE EXFO inc.

Anne Douville, Corporate Communications, [phone], Ext. 23463, [email protected]; Vance Oliver, Director, Investor Relations, [phone], Ext. 23733, [email protected]