| Companies are making the investment to meet | | | | forms of DSL are widely used standards and some |
| consumer demand for better and faster broadband | | | | are proprietary. Due to existing infrastructure not all are |
| internet service. New technologies are emerging that | | | | available in all places. Each standard has its own unique |
| may soon put more zoom in your Internet connection | | | | equipment and protocol requirements. ADSL or |
| With ever growing demand for better and faster | | | | Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line is the most |
| access to the internet by consumers, major | | | | common type in use today. Other types include SDSL |
| technology companies are rushing to develop new | | | | or Symmetric DSL and VDSL referred to as Very |
| technologies to meet these demands. But there have | | | | High-Bit-Rate DSL. Both ADSL and VDSL have new |
| been problems along the way. | | | | technology associated with them that change their |
| One of the first problems to be considered in | | | | nomenclature slightly to ADSL2+ and VDSL2. These |
| developing new technology is the current infrastructure | | | | two technologies are both in use and are being further |
| or currently available equipment on which broadband | | | | developed. Depending on who you talk to, ADSL2+ is |
| services are supplied. Most all DSL service in the world | | | | the best for users with distances further then 3,000 |
| travels over standard phone line, which in most cases | | | | feet from the DSLAM center and VDSL2 for those in |
| has been in place for many years. The lines are | | | | the short run distances. |
| basically straight copper, in some cases there may be | | | | The focus now seems to be on the upstream side of |
| somewhat newer twisted pair copper lines, but none | | | | Broadband access. With more and more people |
| the less still pretty much standard copper telephone | | | | working from home, and more families communicating |
| wire. | | | | over the internet, it doesn’t take long to realize |
| DSL was originally designed to be used over just such | | | | that although down stream speeds might be great, |
| lines with the aid of line filtering, and has for the most | | | | upstream or uploading information is still not meeting |
| part done its job very effectively. But with the increase | | | | the consumer demand level. |
| in demand for high speed access, companies are | | | | If you have every tried to share a video from a |
| finding it difficult to supply the increases in speed and | | | | camcorder with family members across the internet, |
| reliability that consumers are demanding. One of the | | | | you have probably noticed that it still isn’t as |
| major limitations of DSL is travel distance. DSL looses | | | | easy as you might like. The demand for upstream |
| speed and reliability the further away from the | | | | bandwidth has come to center stage and is a large |
| companies switching or exchange center. At the | | | | part of what is driving today’s research and |
| exchange, a digital subscriber line access multiplexer | | | | development. |
| (DSLAM) terminates the DSL circuits and aggregates | | | | But with every change, time is needed for it to filter |
| them, where they are handed off onto other | | | | into point of use. Every new protocol demands change |
| networking transports. Ideally users need to be within | | | | in every aspect of how Broadband access is |
| 15,000 feet from the DSLAM server, using current | | | | delivered to the consumer. From the program that |
| copper line technology. | | | | needs to be written that will accommodate the new |
| Other transport systems in many cases may well be | | | | setups, the machinery that handles every aspect of |
| fiber-optic lines that can handle thousands of times | | | | the physical delivery system, to the modem you have |
| more bandwidth then can standard copper | | | | that connects your computer to the internet. |
| transmission lines. As companies upgrade systems, | | | | Everything needs to work together. |
| and more and more DSLAM terminals are supplied | | | | What will tomorrow bring for consumers in the way of |
| with fiber-optic access. DSL service to consumers will | | | | Broadband access? Only tomorrow will tell. Some |
| get better. The hope is of one day having fiber optic | | | | believe that we may have reached the limit of speed |
| lines in place completely up to consumer use points, or | | | | that can be achieved using existing infrastructure and |
| in the home. To have a fiber optic infrastructure in | | | | until new fiber-optic lines are more readily available that |
| place would open up vastly improved network | | | | speeds won’t improve much. Yet new ideas |
| connection abilities, but it isn’t something that will | | | | and technology are still being developed to help bring |
| happen any time soon. Upgrading systems will take | | | | better internet access to the world over existing |
| many years. | | | | infrastructure. |
| In 2004 a technology was developed by Texas | | | | Will there be fiber-optic lines in every home soon? |
| Instruments that helped the world leap ahead onto the | | | | Someday, most likely, but not in the very near future. |
| internet superhighway. The technology called Uni-DSL | | | | At present it just isn’t cost effective for |
| which means “One DSL for universal | | | | companies to implement the kind of changes needed |
| service” brought new elements to the world of | | | | to upgrade everyone to the latest and greatest types |
| DSL. Uni-DSL made it possible to add voice and video | | | | of DSL systems, but slowly as new systems are built |
| to data that could be transmitted effectively over a | | | | and upgrades are made, where possible, fiber-optic |
| single digital subscriber line. It also helped local | | | | cables are being put in place. With each upgrade, with |
| companies stream line their services while adding to | | | | each new system structure built, the goal of fiber-optic |
| the effectiveness of DSL service over all. VoIP or | | | | lines in every home becomes more of a reality for us |
| Voice over Internet Protocol was born of this new | | | | all. |
| technology, as was on demand or live streaming video | | | | So is the DSL connection that you have now as fast |
| for the consumer | | | | as it will get? Today, maybe yes, but most assuredly |
| There are several competing forms of DSL, each | | | | the future will improve it, and who knows, tomorrow |
| adapted to specific needs in the marketplace. Some | | | | may be the day. |