According to a report in The Australian, the trial set a world record for speeds over the distance (2038km) using a technology called Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM). DWDM was instrumental in preventing light decay, found in the fibre optics over large distances.
By reducing the need for 'regenerators', as the report stipulates, Telstra are on track to make big savings in their ability to carry increased traffic on its inter-city fibre links, even though it won't be available commercially until next year.
Core backbone transmission will be crucial to the implementation of the National Broadband Network. Tasmania is poised to be among the first to experience the high speeds promised under the NBN, with plans to introduce the first of the NBN rollout to 5,000 homes in the island state.
The NBN is considered a huge step up from standard ADSL2+ speeds. In Fernlake, Queensland, Internode currently advertises broadband speeds greater than 21Mbps, while Telstra's Melbourne cable customers are in the process of being upgraded to faster speeds.