In a recent blog post, iiNet has reported that recent trials on one of their first Fibre-to-the-Node connections on the NSW Central Coast resulted in average download speeds of around 90 megabits per second, with upload speeds of 40 megabits per second (over an average distance of 429m from the node).

Download sync speeds on these trials ranged from 50Mbps to 107Mbps.

iiNet engineers note that while speeds have been relatively good overall, the distance from the node was not the only variable – the quality of the copper line also had a significant impact.

The Multi-Technology Mix plan is still a work in progress, and there are still some unanswered questions. The positive news is that their trials are showing much faster speeds than many anticipated. iiNet states that while “the new approach may not match the fibre-heavy model for the NBN, but will result in a significant upgrade to Australia’s aging broadband infrastructure”.

Further information can be found on the iiNet blog.