Spanish telco Telefonica has tested plastic optical fibre (POF) and 60GHz Wi-Fi technologies in partnership with Spanish chipset manufacturer KDPOF. According to Telefonica, the POF solution is cheaper, quicker and simpler to install than glass-based fibre, and is capable of providing download speeds of up to 1Gbps to end-users. The operator added that existing pipelines in the home can be used for the installation without any risk, and that the system is ‘immune’ to interference. Telefonica trialled the technology in 30 homes, using a hybrid POF network combined with Wi-Fi and a smart Wi-Fi amplifier. The operator also tested 60GHz Wi-Fi technology, with a theoretical maximum data transfer rate of 4.6Gbps. Telefonica noted in its press release: ‘This new technology has various scopes of application, including rapid content download, high-quality video streaming without decompression, wireless docking and virtual reality device connectivity.’