[LINK] Aussie Claims Copper Broadband now 200x Faster

[Paul Brooks]

Richard Chirgwin wrote:
> The original Melbourne Uni release:
> http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/articleid_4705.html
>
> It would not hurt any of the local IT media to seek a direct 
> interview, but I suppose that's not going to happen in a hurry...
The paper itself is here 
<http://jpap.andriopo.ulos.org/papers/icc-2006-dsl.pdf>. I see from the 
MU press release that he's off to work with Cioffi, who has been writing 
about the potential for 200Mbps+ VDSL2 for years, and gigabit networks 
built from multiple parallel copper pairs bonded together to deliver an 
aggregate Gbps - over very short distances, naturally.
200Mbps+ on a pair requires a completely different method of 
coordination to the algorithms developed in the article. 200Mbps+ 
requires actual cross-talk cancellation across multiple pairs, which is 
Cioffi's speciality (Level 3 DSM).

There is at least one non-technical problem to be overcome though - 
Level 3 DSM coordination requires all lines to be driven from the same 
DSLAM - or even from the same line-card of the same DSLAM, so the ports 
can communicate with each other and coordinate the level of cross-talk 
cancellation. To guarantee the most benefit from Level 3 DSM, we have to 
re-think competitive access by multiple DSLAM owners to the copper 
network, and possibly re-monopolise the broadband-over-CAN network to a 
single DSLAM operator, at least per local area.
The focus of telco competition regulation over the past decade has been 
in the other direction. Whether the potential gains are worth the pain 
remains to be seen.

Paul.