ITU highlights new broadband standard at 10 times the speed
May 31, 2005The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) finalized late last week the technical specifications for the very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line 2 (VDSL2), said to be ten times faster than the asymmetric DSL (ADSL) standard currently offered by telecommunications carriers.
The new standard will allow operators to compete with cable and satellite providers by offering what the ITU calls a “super triple play” of video, Internet, and voice services.
Besides the standard high-speed Internet on regular copper lines, VDSL2 can carry services like high-definition TV, voice-on-demand, video conferencing, and voice-over-IP Unlike ADSL that offers up to 10 Megabytes per second (Mbps), VDSL2 delivers up to 100 Mbps on both upstream and downstream bandwidth.
The ITU has also specified that the VDSL2 would be inter-operable with existing DSL carrier equipment for easy migration. This would llow operators to immediately offer VDSL2 services to customers.
VDSL2 is also expected to be inter-operable with legacy asynchronous transfer mode networks and next-generation Internet Protocol-based networks.
VDSL2 is seen as the ideal accompaniment to a fiber-to-the-premises rollout, where fiber optic lines are used to link offices or residential areas to the public switched telephone network and ordinary copper cables used within the building to connect tenants or residents to high-speed services.
ITU Telecommunications Standardization Sector (ITU-T) study group chairman Yoichi Maeda said that the new standard would foster competition among carriers for high-speed equipment, assuring a level playing field for operators and equipment manufacturers.
"We have leveraged the strengths of ADSL, ADSL2+, and VDSL to achieve the very high performance levels you will see with VDSL2. This new standard is set to become an extremely important feature of the telecommunications landscape, and is a landmark achievement for our members, many of whom are relying on this recommendation to take their businesses to the next level," Maeda said.
Alexander Villafania
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