(Telecompaper) Alcatel-Lucent research arm Bell Labs has set a world record, achieving 10 Gbps access over a copper using its prototype technology XG-FAST. The technology is an extension of the G.fast standard currently being finalised by the ITU and set to become commercially available next year. While G.fast uses a frequency range of 106 MHz, giving broadband speeds of up to 500 Mbps over 100 meters, XG-FAST uses a frequency range of up to 500 MHz to reach higher speeds but over shorter distances. During testing, Bell Labs showed that XG-FAST technology can deliver 1 Gbps symmetrical services over 70 meters on a single copper pair using a frequency range of 350 MHz. It achieved 10 Gbps over a distance of 30 meters by using two pairs of lines. Achieving 1 Gbps symmetrical services is a major breakthrough for copper broadband. It will enable operators to provide speeds that are indistinguishable from FTTH, by bringing fibre to the curbside, wall or basement of a building and the existing copper network for the last few meters.