Integrated Broadband Communications

The EU addressed the issue of a European superhighway as part of the RACE R&D program, which ended at the end of 1995. The result is a concept called Integrated Broadband Communications (IBC). The implementation of IBC started in the early 1990s and targets a 50 percent penetration in 2010.

Key Milestones:

1995: Initial network implementation, with business access capability for at least 50,000 corporate customers across Europe. Field trials, including residential customers, with two-way video and digital TV.

1996: Commercial broadband services based on 2, 34, and 155 Mbps, including fast inter-LAN data transmission, desktop videoconferencing, and other multimedia services.

1997: Access to business customers in towns of more 500,000 inhabitants and start of widespread fiber-to-the-customers implementation.

Major field trials are taking place in Aveiro (Portugal), Basel (Switzerland), Leidschendam (the Netherlands), Berlin (Germany), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Madrid (Spain).

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IBC Field Trials

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