Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs ‘phantom mode’ pumps 300 Mbps over two DSL lines

Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs ‘phantom mode’ pumps 300 Mbps over two DSL lines
APRIL 21, 2010 — Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) says that its research arm, Bell Labs, has successfully demonstrated a technology that boosts the transmission speeds achievable over two DSL lines. In a lab test of “DSL Phantom Mode,” Bell Labs achieved downstream transmission speeds of 300 Mbps over distances up to 400 m (or 100 Mbps at 1 km).The technology promises to enable service providers to maximize the transmission capabilities of existing copper infrastructure to support triple-play services “for years to come,” the company asserts.The DSL Phantom Mode involves the creation of a virtual or “phantom” channel that supplements the two physical wires that are the standard configuration for copper transmission lines. Bell Labs combines this mode with such standard techniques as vectoring (which eliminates crosstalk between copper wires) and bonding (which aggregates the capacity of multiple lines).“Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs’ DSL Phantom Mode lab test adds a whole new dimension to the ongoing ‘100 Mbps for all’ debate. The fact that existing copper loops can facilitate 300 Mbps at 400 meters reshapes the whole next-generation broadband competitive environment — and will open up a wide range of new business opportunities for ‘traditional’ DSL players,” comments Kamalini Ganguly, analyst from Ovum. “This announcement shows that Alcatel-Lucent is seriously looking at all possible innovations to help its customers speed up the deployment of next-generation access networks, through a smart mix of advanced copper and fiber technologies.”Further research is being conducted to refine deployment models and determine a specific set of customer premises equipment (CPE) models compatible with the DSL Phantom Mode technology. The company is not predicting when the technology will be commercially available.