Fiber is certainly the next big thing in terms of broadband, IPTV, and VoIP services, but the question many are asking is: how much headroom does copper (or any other metal) have left? Alcatel-Lucent’s Bell division thinks it has an answer: enough overhead to produce speeds of up to 300 Mbps of downstream performance. Dubbed ‘DSL Phantom Mode’ by researchers, the good news is that the technology to deploy such high-speed DSL systems directly to customers is fairly cost effective when compared to the prospect of deploying fiber to the property lines of businesses and consumers. While such amazingly fast speeds might seem impressive, there are a few problems.
The Catch…Yes, There is ALWAYS a Catch
This might not be news to any long-standing broadband enthusiast, but the original deployment of DSL technology was initially hampered by one serious problem: distance. The distance that data has to travel over metal wires causes signal degradation, and the result was that newer technologies were developed in tandem with signal-strengthening substations being deployed around the country. The net effect of these two factors is that DSL technology became widely available, but that still does not change the core mechanics of signals degrading over distance.
Such degradation is directly related to the amount of data being transmitted at any given time. Simply put, the higher the data performance is on a given line, the quicker the signal quality will degrade. DSL Phantom Mode operating at 300 Mbps has an effective wire loop distance of only 400 meters, or around 1300 feet.
Distance vs. Performance
Since comparatively few properties are within the approximately 1300 foot range of a substation or multiplexing site, the Alcatel-Lucent Bell division has also developed a more lenient version of DSL Phantom Mode. The more lenient mode supplies a much less impressive 100 Mbps of performance at well over twice the distance, which should exponentially increase the number of businesses and/or residences that can use DSL Phantom Mode-enabled networks. While 100 Mbps seems to be a relatively small number compared to figures posted by future fiber optic networks such as the system Google is planning to deploy, it does meet the guidelines outlined by the FCC’s 100/100 by 2020 program.
Candidates for DSL Phantom Mode
One of the most obvious candidates for DSL Phantom Mode technology would be AT&T customers within U-verse range. Densely populated suburbs within access range of U-verse or other extremely high-speed DSL systems are likely to already have fiber optics running directly into their neighborhoods. Fiber within the neighborhood means that there is a substation/multiplexing device in the neighborhood as well. Whether or not such a device could theoretically be upgraded to support DSL Phantom Mode technology is something that can only be addressed on a case-by-case basis, but the idea is sound in theory.
From a business standpoint, the idea seems fairly simple: does a network work to get all of the permits approved only to hire all the labor and technicians necessary to make a potentially painful and expensive transition to fiber, or simply handle a comparatively simple upgrade to existing DSL system? When phrased in this manner, the idea certainly seems appealing. This can be both a good and a bad thing, especially considering the fact that there are few killer apps that can make speeds in excess of 300 Mbps (or 100 Mbps for that matter) seem appealing. In the long run, DSL Phantom Mode might end up delaying the inevitable.
Another Risk
No matter how one chooses to view the idea of sending data over metal wires, there is one inescapable truth: more data = quicker wire burnouts. Entire segments of wire could be reduced to molten slag by any DSL technology, and that risk continues to increase the longer that technology is in place and uses the same wires.
Is This the Last Gasp of Metal?
With fiber optics clearly being the future, one question that is on the minds of many is: will DSL Phantom Mode be remembered as the last gasp of metal wire-based DSL systems? Will DSL Phantom mode even reach wide deployment in an area where long term strategy simply has to favor 100% fiber optic systems? These are all great questions, but another question worth asking is whether the technology used in DSL Phantom Mode will have any potential applications in the realm of fiber optics. It will probably be decades or even centuries before the theoretical limits of fiber are even truly visible from a scientific point of view. Remembering the technologies used to extend the lifespan of metal might prove to be relevant to future researchers.
Bookmark and Promote!
Related Articles:
- None Found
