N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .

W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. .
T Th he e P Pr ro om mi is se e o of f V VD DS SL L i in n I IP P S Se er rv vi ic ce es s E Ev ve er ry yw wh he er re e

A Ab bs st tr ra ac ct t
T Th he e a ad dv ve en nt t o of f t th he e I In nt te er rn ne et t h ha as s c cr re ea at te ed d a a n ne ew w p pa ar ra ad di ig gm m i in n w wh hi ic ch h c co om mp pu ut te er rs s m mu us st t
o op pe er ra at te e. . T Th he e s sh he ee er r v vo ol lu um me e o of f c co on nt te en nt t r re eq qu ui ir re es s n ne ew we er r a an nd d f fa as st te er r m me et th ho od ds s o of f d da at ta a
e ex xc ch ha an ng ge e. . T Th he es se e r re eq qu ui ir re em me en nt ts s h ha av ve e r re es su ul lt te ed d i in n t th he e d de ev ve el lo op pm me en nt t o of f a a n nu um mb be er r o of f n ne ew w
t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s a an nd d t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y p pa ar ra ad di ig gm ms s, , a al ll l w wi it th h t th he e s sa am me e e en nd d g go oa al l: : p pr ro ov vi id di in ng g
h hi ig gh h- -s sp pe ee ed d I In nt te er rn ne et t a ac cc ce es ss s t to o t th he e e en nd d- -u us se er r. . T Th he e o ob bj je ec ct t o of f t th hi is s p pa ap pe er r i is s m mu ul lt ti if fo ol ld d: :
E Ed du uc ca at te e t th he e r re ea ad de er r o on n t th he e e em me er rg ge en nc ce e o of f h hi ig gh h- -s sp pe ee ed d b br ro oa ad db ba an nd d a ac cc ce es ss s
t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s a an nd d t th he e m ma ar rk ke et ts s t th he ey y s se er rv ve e; ;
C Co om mp pa ar re e a an nd d c co on nt tr ra as st t t th he e m ma aj jo or r t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s w wi it th h a an n e em mp ph ha as si is s o on n V VD DS SL L; ;
O Ou ut tl li in ne e N Ne et ts sy y T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s' ' h hi ig gh h- -s sp pe ee ed d b br ro oa ad db ba an nd d a ac cc ce es ss s s so ol lu ut ti io on ns s f fo or r t th he e M Mx xU U
m ma ar rk ke et t. .

A At t t th he e e en nd d o of f t th he e p pa ap pe er r, , t th he e r re ea ad de er r s sh ho ou ul ld d b be e c co om mf fo or rt ta ab bl le e e en no ou ug gh h w wi it th h h hi ig gh h- -s sp pe ee ed d
b br ro oa ad db ba an nd d a ac cc ce es ss s t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s t to o a as sk k m mo or re e d de et ta ai il le ed d q qu ue es st ti io on ns s, , s se ee ek k f fu ur rt th he er r
i in nf fo or rm ma at ti io on n a an nd d m ma ak ke e a a m mo or re e e ed du uc ca at te ed d b bu uy yi in ng g d de ec ci is si io on n. .

T Th he e T Te ec ch hn no oI Io og gi ie es s
T Th he e i in nt tr ro od du uc ct ti io on n o of f d di ig gi it ta al l s su ub bs sc cr ri ib be er r l li in ne e ( (D DS SL L) ) t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s h ha as s r re ev vo ol lu ut ti io on ni iz ze ed d
I In nt te er rn ne et t a ac cc ce es ss s. . T Th he e a ab bi il li it ty y t to o u us se e e ex xi is st ti in ng g p ph ho on ne e l li in ne es s t to o p pr ro ov vi id de e f fa as st te er r I In nt te er rn ne et t
a ac cc ce es ss s h ha as s p pu ut t s st ta an nd da ar rd d 5 56 6K K m mo od de em m a ac cc ce es ss s i in nt to o t th he e b ba ac ck kg gr ro ou un nd d, , i if f n no ot t p pu ut t i it t t to o b be ed d. .
T Th he e b be en ne ef fi it ts s o of f D DS SL L t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y, , c co ou up pl le ed d w wi it th h t th he e d de er re eg gu ul la at ti io on n o of f t th he e
t te el le ec co om mm mu un ni ic ca at ti io on ns s i in nd du us st tr ry y, , h ha av ve e c ca au us se ed d i in n i in nc cr re ea as se e i in n t th he e n nu um mb be er r o of f s se er rv vi ic ce e
p pr ro ov vi id de er rs s ( (x xS SP P) ) o of ff fe er ri in ng g D DS SL L s se er rv vi ic ce es s. . E Ev ve er ry yo on ne e f fr ro om m I IL LE EC Cs s t to o C CL LE EC Cs s t to o I IS SP Ps s a ar re e
o of ff fe er ri in ng g D DS SL L s se er rv vi ic ce es s t to o h ho om me es s a an nd d b bu us si in ne es ss se es s w wi it th h A As sy ym mm me et tr ri ic c D Di ig gi it ta al l S Su ub bs sc cr ri ib be er r
L Li in ne e ( (A AD DS SL L) ) c cu ur rr re en nt tl ly y b be ei in ng g t th he e m mo os st t c co om mm mo on n a an nd d c co os st t- -e ef ff fe ec ct ti iv ve e c ch ho oi ic ce e. . H Ho ow we ev ve er r, ,
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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. .
t th he e e eu up ph ho or ri ia a o ov ve er r t th he e i in nc cr re ea as se ed d b ba an nd dw wi id dt th h a an nd d a ac cc ce es ss si ib bi il li it ty y p pr ro ov vi id de ed d b by y A AD DS SL L h ha as s
h ha ad d a a s si ig gn ni if fi ic ca an nt t s si id de e e ef ff fe ec ct t i in n t th ha at t t th he e b ba an nd dw wi id dt th h i is s u us se ed d a as s f fa as st t a as s i it t i is s m ma ad de e
a av va ai il la ab bl le e, , d de es sp pi it te e a ar rg gu um me en nt ts s t to o t th he e c co on nt tr ra ar ry y c co on nc ce er rn ni in ng g t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s s su uc ch h a as s d da ar rk k
f fi ib be er r. . R Re es se ea ar rc ch h i in nt to o D DS SL L t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s h ha as s p pr ro od du uc ce ed d v va ar ri ia an nt ts s o of f A AD DS SL L t to o h he el lp p r re es so ol lv ve e
i is ss su ue es s u us se er rs s a ar re e f fa ac ce ed d w wi it th h t to od da ay y, , a as s w we el ll l a as s p pl la an n f fo or r f fu ut tu ur re e i im mp pl le em me en nt ta at ti io on ns s. . O On ne e o of f
t th he es se e v va ar ri ia an nt ts s i is s V Ve er ry y H Hi ig gh h B Bi it t- -R Ra at te e D Di ig gi it ta al l S Su ub bs sc cr ri ib be er r L Li in ne e ( (V VD DS SL L) ). . V VD DS SL L d di if ff fe er rs s f fr ro om m
t th he e o ot th he er r D DS SL L t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s p pr ri im ma ar ri il ly y i in n t th he e a ar re ea as s o of f s sp pe ee ed d a an nd d d di is st ta an nc ce e. . L Lo ow we er r c co os st ts s, ,
c co om mp pe et ti it ti io on n w wi it th h o ot th he er r t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s a an nd d f fo or rw wa ar rd d t th hi in nk ki in ng g f fo or r f fu ut tu ur re e b ba an nd dw wi id dt th h
r re eq qu ui ir re em me en nt ts s a ar re e c co on nt tr ri ib bu ut ti in ng g t to o m ma ak ki in ng g V VD DS SL L a a v vi ia ab bl le e t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y f fo or r e ev ve en n w wi id de er r
i im mp pl le em me en nt ta at ti io on n. . W Wi it th h V VD DS SL L' 's s a ab bi il li it ty y t to o s su up pp po or rt t f fe ea at tu ur re es s s su uc ch h a as s t te el le ev vi is si io on n
p pr ro og gr ra am mm mi in ng g, , v vi id de eo o c co on nf fe er re en nc ci in ng g, , a an nd d h hi ig gh h- -s sp pe ee ed d d da at ta a e ex xc ch ha an ng ge e, , s se er rv vi ic ce e p pr ro ov vi id de er rs s
a ar re e d di is sc co ov ve er ri in ng g t th ha at t a a V VD DS SL L o of ff fe er ri in ng g i is s a a v ve er ry y i im mp po or rt ta an nt t w we ea ap po on n i in n t th he ei ir r a ar rs se en na al l, ,
e es sp pe ec ci ia al ll ly y i in n t th he ei ir r c co om mp pe et ti it ti io on n w wi it th h c ca ab bl le e t te el le ev vi is si io on n c co om mp pa an ni ie es s. .

T Th he e S Sp pa ac ce e
T Th he e p pr ri im ma ar ry y f fo oc cu us s o of f a an ny y D DS SL L t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y i is s t to o e en na ab bl le e b br ro oa ad db ba an nd d a ac cc ce es ss s t to o a an n
e en nd d- -u us se er r w wi it th ho ou ut t r re ew wi ir ri in ng g t th he e e ex xi is st ti in ng g w wi ir ri in ng g i in nf fr ra as st tr ru uc ct tu ur re e. . T Th he e " "e en nd d- -u us se er r" " i in n t th hi is s c ca as se e
m ma ay y b be e: :
A An n u us se er r i in n a a c co om mm me er rc ci ia al l c ca am mp pu us s e en nv vi ir ro on nm me en nt t; ;
A A r re es si id de en nt t i in n a a m mu ul lt ti i- -t te en na an nt t o or r m mu ul lt ti i- -d dw we el ll li in ng g ( (M Mx xU U) ) u un ni it t; ;
A A s st tu ud de en nt t i in n a a u un ni iv ve er rs si it ty y c ca am mp pu us s; ;
A A g gu ue es st t a at t a a h ho ot te el l. .
T Th he e d di if ff fi ic cu ul lt ty y i in n p pr ro ov vi id di in ng g b br ro oa ad db ba an nd d a ac cc ce es ss s t to o u us se er rs s i in n a an ny y o of f t th he es se e s sc ce en na ar ri io os s i is s t th he e
l la ac ck k o of f a ad de eq qu ua at te e w wi ir ri in ng g t to o s su up pp po or rt t t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s s su uc ch h a as s E Et th he er rn ne et t. . T Th he er re e a ar re e a a
s st ta ag gg ge er ri in ng g n nu um mb be er r o of f e en nd d- -u us se er rs s t th ha at t a ar re e s st ti il ll l u us si in ng g t tr ra ad di it ti io on na al l 5 56 6K K m mo od de em ms s b be ec ca au us se e
n no o o ot th he er r t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y i is s r re ea ad di il ly y a av va ai il la ab bl le e f fo or r b br ro oa ad db ba an nd d a ac cc ce es ss s. . L Li is st te ed d b be el lo ow w a ar re e s so om me e
s st ta at ti is st ti ic cs s o on n t th he e s sh he ee er r a am mo ou un nt t o of f p po ot te en nt ti ia al l u us se er rs s i in n t th he e U U. .S S. . M Mx xU U/ /c ca am mp pu us s/ /h ho os sp pi it ta al li it ty y
e en nv vi ir ro on nm me en nt ts s. .
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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. . 3
2 24 4% % o of f t th he e U U. .S S. . p po op pu ul la at ti io on n l li iv ve es s i in n a a M MD DU U; ;
5 51 1% % o of f t th he e t to ot ta al l h ho ou us se eh ho ol ld ds s h ha as s a at t l le ea as st t o on ne e h ho om me e c co om mp pu ut te er r; ;
2 24 4. .7 7 m mi il ll li io on n s sm ma al ll l a an nd d h ho om me e b bu us si in ne es ss se es s e em mp pl lo oy y 1 10 00 0 o or r f fe ew we er r p pe eo op pl le e. .
I In n o ot th he er r p pa ar rt ts s o of f t th he e w wo or rl ld d, , t th he e M Mx xU U m ma ar rk ke et tp pl la ac ce e i is s e ev ve en n g gr re ea at te er r I In n J Ja ap pa an n: :
4 40 0% % o of f t th he e p po op pu ul la at ti io on n l li iv ve es s i in n a a M MD DU U; ;
5 50 0% % o of f M MT TU U t te en na an nt ts s h ha av ve e h ha ad d I In nt te er rn ne et t a ac cc ce es ss s s si in nc ce e 1 19 99 98 8. .
F Fi ib be er r t to o t th he e c cu ur rb b ( (F FT TT TC C) ) i in ni it ti ia at ti iv ve e t to o b be e 1 10 00 0% % c co om mp pl le et te e b by y 2 20 00 05 5. . C Cu ur rr re en nt tl ly y a at t 3 36 6% %; ;
5 5. .4 4 m mi il ll li io on n s sm ma al ll l a an nd d h ho om me e b bu us si in ne es ss se es s e em mp pl lo oy y 1 17 7 m mi il ll li io on n p pe eo op pl le e. .

T Th he e a ab bi il li it ty y o of f D DS SL L t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s t to o w wo or rk k o ov ve er r s st ta an nd da ar rd d c co op pp pe er r p ph ho on ne e l li in ne es s i is s c cr ri it ti ic ca al l
s si in nc ce e i in na ad de eq qu ua at te e w wi ir ri in ng g i in nf fr ra as st tr ru uc ct tu ur re e i is s t th he e p pr ri im ma ar ry y r re ea as so on n f fo or r t th he e l la ac ck k o of f b br ro oa ad db ba an nd d
a ac cc ce es ss s a av va ai il la ab bi il li it ty y. . I It t c ca an n b be e c co os st t- -p pr ro oh hi ib bi it ti iv ve e t to o r re ew wi ir re e a a b bu ui il ld di in ng g u us si in ng g C Ca at te eg go or ry y 5 5
U Un ns sh hi ie el ld de ed d T Tw wi is st te ed d P Pa ai ir r ( (U UT TP P) ) c ca ab bl le e t to o s su up pp po or rt t a an n E Et th he er rn ne et t e en nv vi ir ro on nm me en nt t. . D DS SL L
t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s e el li im mi in na at te e t th he e n ne ee ed d f fo or r s su uc ch h r re ew wi ir ri in ng g. . I In n c co om mm me er rc ci ia al l e en nv vi ir ro on nm me en nt ts s, , a as s
b bu us si in ne es ss se es s e ex xc ch ha an ng ge e m mo or re e d da at ta a i in n b bo ot th h d di ir re ec ct ti io on ns s o ov ve er r t th he e I In nt te er rn ne et t, , a as sy ym mm me et tr ri ic c
t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y s so ol lu ut ti io on ns s, , s su uc ch h a as s A AD DS SL L, , a ar re e n no o l lo on ng ge er r s su uf ff fi ic ci ie en nt t. . T Tr ra ad di it ti io on na al l a ac cc ce es ss s
t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s, , s su uc ch h a as s T T1 1, , a ar re e t to oo o s sl lo ow w t to o s su up pp po or rt t n ne ew we er r a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s a an nd d i in nc cr re ea as se ed d
i in nf fo or rm ma at ti io on n e ex xc ch ha an ng ge e o ov ve er r t th he e I In nt te er rn ne et t. . V VD DS SL L t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y c ca an n s su up pp po or rt t t th he e s sy ym mm me et tr ri ic c
t tr ra af ff fi ic c f fl lo ow w t th ha at t b bu us si in ne es ss se es s n ne ee ed d, , w wi it th h t th he e s sp pe ee ed d t th he ey y d de es si ir re e a ag ga ai in n, , u us si in ng g t th he e
e ex xi is st ti in ng g w wi ir ri in ng g i in nf fr ra as st tr ru uc ct tu ur re e. . U Us se er rs s a ar re e m mo or re e s so op ph hi is st ti ic ca at te ed d i in n t th he ei ir r u us se e o of f t th he e I In nt te er rn ne et t
t to od da ay y t th ha an n a a f fe ew w y ye ea ar rs s a ag go o. . N No o l lo on ng ge er r s sa at ti is sf fi ie ed d w wi it th h s si im mp pl ly y " "s su ur rf fi in ng g t th he e W We eb b, ," " t th he ey y
w wa an nt t m mo or re e s st tr re ea am mi in ng g a au ud di io o, , s st tr re ea am mi in ng g v vi id de eo o a an nd d t th he e a ab bi il li it ty y t to o t tr ra an ns sf fe er r m mo or re e d da at ta a
s si im mu ul lt ta an ne eo ou us sl ly y. . C Co on ns se eq qu ue en nt tl ly y m mo or re e b ba an nd dw wi id dt th h i is s n ne ee ed de ed d. . V VD DS SL L t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y e en na ab bl le es s
s so ol lu ut ti io on ns s t to o r re es so ol lv ve e t th he es se e i is ss su ue es s. .

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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. . 4
T Th he e P Pr ro ov vi id de er r C Ch ha aI II Ie en ng ge e
I IS SP P/ /x xL LE EC Cs s a ar re e c cu ur rr re en nt tl ly y p pr ro ov vi id di in ng g h hi ig gh h- -s sp pe ee ed d b br ro oa ad db ba an nd d a ac cc ce es ss s u us si in ng g p pr re ed do om mi in na an nt tl ly y
A AD DS SL L a an nd d S SD DS SL L t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s. . D De ep pl lo oy ym me en nt ts s o of f t th he es se e t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s h ha av ve e a a n nu um mb be er r o of f
b be en ne ef fi it ts s f fo or r p pr ro ov vi id de er rs s: : l le ev ve er ra ag ge e e ex xi is st ti in ng g e eq qu ui ip pm me en nt t a an nd d w wi ir ri in ng g i in nf fr ra as st tr ru uc ct tu ur re e. . I IS SP Ps s
w wo or rk k w wi it th h x xL LE EC Cs s t to o u us se e t th he e p ph ho on ne e l li in ne es s i in n o or rd de er r t to o p pr ro ov vi id de e t th he ei ir r s se er rv vi ic ce es s t to o e en nd d- -u us se er rs s. .
H Ho ow we ev ve er r, , i in nc cr re ea as si in ng g b ba an nd dw wi id dt th h d de em ma an nd d h ha as s s sh ho ow wn n t th he es se e t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s t to o b be e
m ma ar rg gi in na al l s so ol lu ut ti io on ns s f fo or r m ma an ny y c cu us st to om me er rs s. . P Pr ro ov vi id de er rs s a ar re e n no ow w l lo oo ok ki in ng g t to o o ot th he er r
t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s s su uc ch h a as s V VD DS SL L t to o p pr ro ov vi id de e i in nc cr re ea as se ed d b ba an nd dw wi id dt th h t to o m me ee et t t th he e n ne ee ed ds s o of f t th he ei ir r
c cu us st to om me er rs s. . D De ep pl lo oy yi in ng g V VD DS SL L- -b ba as se ed d s so ol lu ut ti io on ns s, , h ho ow we ev ve er r, , p pr re es se en nt ts s o ot th he er r c ch ha al ll le en ng ge es s. . T To o
p pr ro ov vi id de e h hi ig gh h- -s sp pe ee ed d b br ro oa ad db ba an nd d a ac cc ce es ss s w wi it th ho ou ut t c co os st t- -p pr ro oh hi ib bi it ti iv ve e r re ew wi ir ri in ng g, , s se er rv vi ic ce e
p pr ro ov vi id de er rs s a ar re e r ra ap pi id dl ly y u up pg gr ra ad di in ng g a ac cc ce es ss s t to o t th he e b bu ui il ld di in ng gs s, , p pr ri im ma ar ri il ly y b by y i in ns st ta al ll li in ng g/ /l li ig gh ht ti in ng g
n ne ew w o op pt ti ic ca al l f fi ib be er r f fr ro om m t th he e c ce en nt tr ra al l o of ff fi ic ce e ( (C CO O) ) t to o t th he e b bu ui il ld di in ng g. . T Th hi is s a al ll lo ow ws s d da at ta a f fr ro om m t th he e
x xS SP P t to o t tr ra av ve el l o ov ve er r o op pt ti ic ca al l f fi ib be er r l li in nk ks s t to o t th he e b bu ui il ld di in ng g, , w wh he er re e V VD DS SL L e eq qu ui ip pm me en nt t s se en nd ds s i it t
o ov ve er r e ex xi is st ti in ng g c co op pp pe er r p ph ho on ne e l li in ne es s t to o u us se er rs s. . T Th hi is s d de ep pl lo oy ym me en nt t i is s c cu ur rr re en nt tl ly y i in n p pr ro og gr re es ss s
w wi it th hi in n t th he e U Un ni it te ed d S St ta at te es s, , E Eu ur ro op pe e a an nd d p pa ar rt ts s o of f A As si ia a. . T Th he e f fi ib be er r o ou ut tl la ay y w wi il ll l n no ot t o on nl ly y
p pr ro ov vi id de e a ac cc ce es ss s t to o t th he e M Mx xU U m ma ar rk ke et t b bu ut t a al ls so o e en na ab bl le e f fu ut tu ur re e t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s, , s su uc ch h a as s
G Gi ig ga ab bi it t E Et th he er rn ne et t a an nd d 1 10 0 G Gi ig ga ab bi it t E Et th he er rn ne et t, , t th ha at t c ca an nn no ot t r ru un n l lo on ng g h ha au ul l d di is st ta an nc ce es s o ov ve er r
c co op pp pe er r w wi ir re es s. . V VD DS SL L t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y i is s o on ne e o of f t th he e b bi ig gg ge es st t b be en ne ef fi ic ci ia ar ri ie es s o of f t th hi is s e ef ff fo or rt t, ,
m ma ak ki in ng g t th he e t ti im me e r ri ig gh ht t t to o d de ep pl lo oy y V VD DS SL L- -b ba as se ed d a ac cc ce es ss s s so ol lu ut ti io on ns s i in nt to o t th he e M Mx xU U
e en nv vi ir ro on nm me en nt t. .

V VD DS SL L v vs s. .A AD DS SL L
M Mo or re e r re ec ce en nt tl ly y, , e em mp ph ha as si is s h ha as s b be ee en n p pl la ac ce ed d o on n A AD DS SL L f fo or r a a v va ar ri ie et ty y o of f r re ea as so on ns s. . N Ne ew we er r
v va ar ri ia an nt ts s, , s su uc ch h a as s V VD DS SL L, , S SD DS SL L, , H HD DS SL L, , e et tc c. ., , a ar re e j ju us st t n no ow w c co om mi in ng g i in nt to o p pr ro om mi in ne en nc ce e. .
B Be ec ca au us se e o of f t th he e p po ot te en nt ti ia al l i im mp pa ac ct t o of f V VD DS SL L i in n t th he e m ma ar rk ke et tp pl la ac ce e, , i it t i is s i im mp po or rt ta an nt t t to o e ex xp pl la ai in n
t th he e d di if ff fe er re en nc ce e b be et tw we ee en n V VD DS SL L a an nd d A AD DS SL L. .T Ta ab bl le e 1 1 o ou ut tl li in ne es s t th he e b ba as si ic c s sp pe ee ed d a an nd d
d di is st ta an nc ce e d di if ff fe er re en nc ce es s b be et tw we ee en n A AD DS SL L a an nd d V VD DS SL L t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gi ie es s. .
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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. . 5

Table 1 VDSL vs. ADSL

A AD DS SL L B Ba as si ic cs s
D De ev ve el lo op pe ed d w wi it th h t th he e h hi ig gh h- -s sp pe ee ed d b br ro oa ad db ba an nd d a ac cc ce es ss s t to o t th he e c co on ns su um me er r m ma ar rk ke et tp pl la ac ce e i in n
m mi in nd d, , A AD DS SL L h ha as s e en nj jo oy ye ed d w wi id de es sp pr re ea ad d d de ep pl lo oy ym me en nt t. . T Th he e c co om mb bi in na at ti io on n o of f s sp pe ee ed ds s a an nd d
d di is st ta an nc ce es s a ar re e f fa av vo or ra ab bl le e f fo or r a a h ho om me e a an nd d s sm ma al ll l o of ff fi ic ce e e en nv vi ir ro on nm me en nt t. . A AD DS SL L t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y i is s
g ge en ne er ra al ll ly y p pr re em mi is se ed d o on n, , t th ho ou ug gh h n no ot t r re es st tr ri ic ct te ed d t to o, , t th he e e ex xi is st te en nc ce e o of f A AT TM M a as s t th he e L Li in nk k
L La ay ye er r p pr ro ot to oc co ol l. . T Th hi is s i is s d do on ne e f fo or r a a c co ou up pl le e o of f r re ea as so on ns s: : l le ev ve er ra ag ge e t th he e e ex xi is st ti in ng g A AT TM M
i in nf fr ra as st tr ru uc ct tu ur re e i in n t th he e l lo oc ca al l l lo oo op p a an nd d m ma ax xi im mi iz ze e Q Qu ua al li it ty y o of f S Se er rv vi ic ce e ( (Q Qo oS S) ) p po ot te en nt ti ia al l. .
H Hi is st to or ri ic ca al ll ly y, , c ca ar rr ri ie er rs s i in ns st ta al ll le ed d a an nd d u us se ed d a a s si ig gn ni if fi ic ca an nt t a am mo ou un nt t o of f A AT TM M e eq qu ui ip pm me en nt t t to o
a ac cc ce es ss s t th he e l lo oc ca al l l lo oo op p, , b ba as se ed d o on n t th he e i id de ea a t th ha at t A AT TM M w wo ou ul ld d b be e t th he e u ub bi iq qu ui it to ou us s t te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y
i in n t th he e W WA AN N. . O On ne e o of f t th he e g go oa al ls s o of f A AT TM M w wa as s t to o p pr ro ov vi id de e a a L Li in nk k L La ay ye er r p pr ro ot to oc co ol l t th ha at t c co ou ul ld d
s su up pp po or rt t t th he e t tr ra an ns sp po or rt t o of f m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e t tr ra af ff fi ic c t ty yp pe es s ( (v vo oi ic ce e, , d da at ta a, , v vi id de eo o, , e et tc c. .) ), , w wi it th h a a
s su up pp po or rt ti in ng g A Ad da ap pt ta at ti io on n L La ay ye er r t to o c cl la as ss si if fy y t tr ra af ff fi ic c s st tr re ea am ms s a an nd d a a s st tr ro on ng g Q Qo oS S. . A An n A AD DS SL L
i im mp pl le em me en nt ta at ti io on n c co on ns si is st ts s o of f t tw wo o b ba as si ic c c co om mp po on ne en nt ts s: : a an n a ac cc ce es ss s p po oi in nt t f fo or r t th he e u us se er r
( (c cu us st to om me er r p pr re em mi is se e e eq qu ui ip pm me en nt t - - C CP PE E) ), , a an nd d a an n a ag gg gr re eg ga at ti io on n p po oi in nt t w wh he er re e a al ll l o of f t th he e
a ac cc ce es ss s p po oi in nt ts s m me er rg ge e. .
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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. . (


he access point is generally an ADSL router. The access point takes the user data
and converts it to ATM cells to be transported using ADSL framing over the copper
wiring infrastructure. The aggregation point is a DSLAM usually located at the CO, but
can also be located in the basement of a building. The DSLAM accepts the ADSL
framed data from the customer, which may contain both voice and data traffic. A
POTS splitter, integrated into the DSLAM or external, splits the voice traffic from the
data and routes it to a voice switch and subsequently to the voice network. The
remaining data traffic is ATM cells and is sent to an ATM switch within the CO
premises and then out to the carrier's ATM network. A typical ADSL implementation is
shown in Figure 1 above.

In many cases, the POTS splitter, the DSLAM and the ATM switch can be integrated
into a single device, accomplishing all three functions.
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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. . 7
ADSL Advantages
ADSL has some significant advantages, which are summarized below.
Long reach (5500 m.);
Cost-effective solution for home and small office environment;
Leverage ATM infrastructure of carriers and service providers;
ATM QoS for voice, video, multimedia, etc.;
Value add features (bandwidth provisioning, etc.) in ADSL equipment to maximize
revenue for xSP.

The advantages listed here are the primary reasons why ADS enjoys its current level
of acceptance. However, the next section will discuss why some of these advantages
of ADSL will become disadvantages in the near future.
High Speed Broadband Access TechnoIogies 4
ADSL Disadvantages
In spite of its popularity, ADSL has a number of disadvantages many of which have
come to light because of recent advances in other technologies.
Theoretical 6.1Mbps downstream but 1-2Mbps are normal and typical;
Lower typical speeds limit transmission of high-grade streaming multimedia
applications, digital TV, HDTV, video-conferencing and high-speed data exchange;
Asymmetric nature less suited for today's business/commercial environments;
ATM QoS not being used because ADSL primarily used for data;
ADSL rollouts have been problematic;
ADSL/ATM equipment is still expensive because ATM is still expensive;
ATM infrastructure at carrier level is going more to the core network.

Because of the increased sophistication of Internet and application usage by users,
the practical speeds and asymmetric nature of ADSL have become a limiting factor
when once they were more than sufficient. Office environments are finding it more
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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. . 8
difficult to use ADSL because businesses often send and receive large amounts of
data, making the disparity between the upstream and downstream speeds
unacceptable. Consequently, businesses are switching to SDSL, which provides
symmetric T1 speeds (1.544Mbps), or VDSL. Over the past few years, ADSL rollouts
have been less than stellar for most service providers not necessarily due to the
provider themselves. Complaints include:
Slow implementations;
Inadequate service;
Service level agreements (SLAs) not meeting established use level.

Some complaints are due to the ILEC/CLEC not providing appropriate bandwidth to
the xSP; some have to do with complexity of the equipment and the associated
provisioning. Additionally, the ATM QoS benefits have largely gone unused. Even at
the writing of this paper, Voice over DSL (VoDSL) implementations were only just
beginning rollout and in low volumes. Though ATM provides a level of QoS that can
be used to ensure proper traffic delivery, its use is not widespread because ADSL is
still used primarily for data delivery. ADSL does not take advantage of the QoS
metrics available because they are not critical in non-real time data delivery. Where
QoS is availableonly the default metrics are being provided best-effort.

ADSL Future
The popularity of ADSL as an Internet access technology will keep it alive for a umber
of years to come. Service providers have invested too much money into equipment
supporting this technology to allow it to fade quickly. ADSL has played in a major role
in increasing the popularity of the Internet because of the access potential it provides
but if issues with ADSL deployment and service do not improve, ADSL may well be
the "dial-up" technology of the 21st century. Additionally, the increasing demands of
users and emergence of DSL variants as well as other technologies are gradually
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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. . 9
reducing the fascination with ADSL. These demands are forcing the research into
newer technologies to replace ADSL with something better. VDSL is one such
technology.

VDSL Steps In
The simplicity of VDSL remedies a number of the problems currently faced by ADSL.
VDSL is not necessarily supplanting ADSL as an access technology, but rather
complementing it by reaching many more users and providing more capabilities.
VDSL runs in symmetric or asymmetric mode;
Symmetric operation is well suited for today's business and enterprise
environments;
Equipment is not ATM-centric, so is cheaper than ADSL;
Bandwidth enables future technologies, such as streaming multimedia, HDTV,
digital TV, etc, that ADSL cannot support;
Simplicity of the equipment lessens problematic rollouts and cost for the xSP.

VDSL has the ability to run in either asymmetric or symmetric mode. The symmetric
mode of VDSL provides speeds up to 13Mbps (currently) in each direction, making it a
desirable solution for a business environment. This bandwidth far exceeds the other
xDSL variants. Because VDSL is not ATM-based, the expensive ATM-based DSLAM
at the CO or in the basement can be replaced by a more cost-effective access
concentrator in the basement of the building it is servicing. VDSL leverages existing
equipment to minimize cost, rollout time and effort. The access concentrator can take
Ethernet data traffic, merge the voice traffic from the Public Switched Telephone
Network (PSTN) coming into the building, and send the mixed data over the phone
lines into the residences or offices. The access point in the residence or office is
simple; it splits the voice and data traffic so a user can use the phone and access the
Internet at the same time. Note that VDSL exists only between the access
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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. . 0
concentrator in the building basement and the access point to which it is connected. It
does not extend beyond the access concentrator toward the service provider.
Advances in the area of television programming, particularly digital TV and HDTV, will
prohibit the long-term use of ADSL very quickly. With the prediction by Cahners
In-Stat Group that by 2005, more than 23 million homes will be watching television
over existing phone lines, VDSL technology will gain wider acceptance to help meet
this demand.

Service providers will be able to provision the VDSL bandwidth in order to provide a
customer the specific bandwidth requested. If users require more or less bandwidth, a
simple telephone call is all that is necessary to make the change. The applications
that can run on top of the VDSL channels can provide a greater level of value-add, in
the form of revenue generating potential, to the service provider. Because ADSL is a
commodity service, the difference in price is not significant between xSPs because
only a single service is being offered pure bandwidth. With VDSL, the service
provider can provision a VDSL device to not only offer the appropriate bandwidth for
features like HDTV or video conferencing, but can provision the appropriate QoS
metrics to ensure that the feature operates properly and to the satisfaction of the
customer. This level of provisioning can provide the xSP a higher level of value-add
service, allowing it to differentiate itself from other xSPs.

The Provider ChaIIenge for VDSL ImpIementations
The benefits provided by VDSL begs the question "why should one use ADSL if VDSL
is available?" As alluded to earlier, VDSL is a technology that is not readily available
to consumers - yet. This leads to other issues regarding VDSL, many similar to those
faced by ADSL in the past and currently:
VDSL Availability: VDSL is just now being deployed in niche environments
(hospitality, campus);
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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. .
Practical speeds available: Many implementations have been able to achieve
13Mbps symmetrical rates (26 Mbps total). While less than the 52Mbps total
theoretical rate, more than sufficient to support high-grade multimedia applications;
QoS potential: Most of the VDSL implementations revolve around Ethernet and
currently use the 802.1Q and p based QoS. Advanced QoS techniques are being
developed for IP to ensure QoS to the edge of the VDSL environment;
Cost: VDSL may initially be more costly than ADSL. If VDSL is touted to be the
replacement for ADSL, then its cost must be comparable. If VDSL is deemed to be
a complimentary technology, the cost/value assessment can be made by the xSP;
Rollout: The rollouts should be easier than ADSL because there is less equipment to
install;
Standards: VDSL standards are well defined but not yet finalized. This leaves the
possibility of interoperability issues between access concentrators and access
points of multiple vendors.

VDSL provides many benefits and has solutions to resolve issues faced by ADSL.
However, because it is still early in its implementation, it will likely be 2002 before
mass rollouts in MxU, campus and hospitality markets will be commonly seen. Some
service providers will roll out VDSL as a premium service for large-bandwidth
customers who can generate significant revenue. An xSP may provide an option to
the user, ADSL or VDSL service based on the user's personal or business
requirements. The customer will then be charged accordingly. VDSL can be used as
the premium service, thus garnering a larger revenue stream from customers while
ADSL may still be used as an Internet access service.

CabIe Modem
In the midst of the DSL talk exists cable modem technology. This is a broadband
access method offered by companies that offer cable television service to end-users.
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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. .
The possibilities with this offering should be obvious: wherever cable television is
available, cable modem access can be made available. In fact, broadband access
using cable modem technology is more common than any other access technology,
except for traditional analog modems. Cable modem technology does not require any
rewiring of the premise. When a cable modem is installed, it uses a coaxial cable from
the local head end into the end-user's premise, in a manner similar to the cable
television wire. The device the cable connects into is called a cable modem (a CPE
device). It generally has the coaxial cable in one end and an Ethernet port on the
other end, as the connection point to the home computer. The technology is fairly
simple: it is a modem that has its signals running over a coaxial cable. The modulation
techniques are modified to allow a significant increase in the bandwidth provided, but
generally speaking, this is a modem. The speeds attained by cable modem
technology are impressive: up to 27Mbps downstream from the head end to the
end-user and up to 10Mbps upstream from the end-user to the head end.

The service model of the ISP, generally the cable company, is also quite simple: a flat
fee for a single IP Address assignment. There is little, if any, bandwidth provisioning,
so no "levels" of service available for purchase, as there are in DSL technology based
Services. Cable companies are quietly and consistently increasing the number of
broadband access deployments throughout the United States. As the ISP, cable
companies provide a single point of presence for both cable television service and
high-speed Internet access. With all of this information in hand, it would seem that
cable companies are well suited to provide access solutions to the MxU markets. But
in fact there are limitations to cable modem technology that will prevent it from
expanding beyond a certain point.
Broadband access using cable modems is generally considered to be a U.S.-based
technology and not nearly as prevalent or even in existence in other parts of the
world;
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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. . 3
Access using cable modem technology is on a shared media. A typical local hub
may connect anywhere from 500 to 1000 end-users meaning that the total
downstream bandwidth of up to 27Mbps is shared among up to 1000 users. There
is no guaranteed bandwidth per end-user, so performance can be severely
impacted based on the number of users "logged on" at any point in time. This type
of performance would not be acceptable to any business environment, and can
severely affect the quality of streaming multimedia;
Traffic is asymmetric in nature and has no symmetric capabilities. This will prevent
the technology from extending into an office environment;
From an xSP perspective, the lack of provisioning capabilities within the cable
modem technology removes a significant level of value-add revenue;
Because it is typical to have a single cable company in a specific geographic area, it
is very difficult to "break" into the cable industry.

In spite of these drawbacks to cable modem technology, it will continue to remain a
popular choice among end users for the simple reason that it currently offers a cheap,
fast, and easy way to get high-speed broadband access to the end user. Though
cable providers have the ability to provide voice services, it is not common and
limitations exist in the capabilities of the set-top box that resides in the customer
premise to support those services and still provide a competitive cost point.
Additionally, cable providers are not seen by the public as the entity to provide a mix
of services, they are seen only as the cable and Internet access provider. Cable
companies and partners are attempting to address these shortcomings, among others,
in order to allow the expansion of cable modem technology into more of the MxU
environments. Until such point, cable modem will remain a popular choice for
high-speed Internet access.
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N Na at ti io on na al l E En nh ha an nc ce e T Te ec ch hn no ol lo og gy y C Co or rp p. .
W Wh hi it te e P Pa ap pe er r: :


N Ne et tS Sy ys s C Co or rp p. . i is s a a p pr ro of fe es ss si io on na al l n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g d de ev ve el lo op pe er r w wh hi ic ch h s sh ha ar re es s t th he e v vi is si io on n o of f b br ri in ng gs s t th he e
o of ff fi ic ce e n ne et tw wo or rk ki in ng g s st ta an nd da ar rd d r ri ig gh ht t i in nt to o y yo ou ur r h ho om me e. . W We e c co om mp pl le et te e t th he e d dr re ea am m o of f c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y t to o t th he e
w wo or rl ld d w wi id de e w we eb b a at t t th he e l lo ow we es st t p po os ss si ib bl le e c co os st t a an nd d t th he e m mo os st t c co on nv ve en ni ie en nt t w wa ay y b by y o ou ur r H Ho om me e
c co on nn ne ec ct ti iv vi it ty y s so ol lu ut ti io on n w wi it th h m mu ul lt ti ip pl le e a an nd d v va ar ri ia ab bl le e a ap pp pl li ic ca at ti io on ns s. . 4
ConcIusion The idea of providing high-speed broadband access to the masses is
undergoing changes as we speak because of the constant and increased desire for
more bandwidth to support bandwidth- hungry applications. Deployments using ADSL
technology have garnered much of the focus over the past three years, but the
demand for bandwidth has easily outgrown the benefits provided by ADSL technology.
Because of that, providers are looking at other technologies to continue to extend the
Internet access to the end-user. VDSL is an exciting new technology that has the
potential to open up improved Internet access to huge amounts of new users by
leveraging technology that exists already Ethernet, copper wire, the voice network
and standard phone lines. The ability to support newer applications such as streaming
multimedia, digital TV, collaborative gaming, VoIP and HDTV are promoting
widespread anticipation of broadband access deployments using VDSL technology.
Not since ADSL has such promise been shown by a technology. Because of its close
relationship to ADSL, VDSL has addressed and staved off many of the pitfalls
thatbefell ADSL. Broadband access deployments using VDSL technology are now
taking place in niche environments such as the hospitality, MxU, education and
business campus markets. Widespread implementations will occur once the standard
is ratified and costs are competitive. VDSL can co-exist with ADSL, and will have to
for some time because of ADSL's prominence in the marketplace. Because of the
benefits, simplicity and the direction of the Internet towards "IP services everywhere,"
VDSL is well positioned to become the dominant high-speed broadband access
enabling technology in the near future.
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