Faster DSL ?

[GhostShip]

This would be good news for many broadband users 

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061010-7952.html

To avoid interference, current DSL implementations use static spectrum management that is built for a "worst-case" scenario. Most actual phone lines would allow for far better performance, and DSM technology will allow each DSL connection to be regulated in real time by the hardware based on measured crosstalk and on current data needs of each customer. The end result could be DSL connections that top out at 100Mbps or more.

The group hopes that the answer will be found in the use of Dynamic Spectrum Management (DSM) to boost DSL speeds. "The main obstacle for the advancement of DSL technology is the interference ("crosstalk") generated from different DSL lines that share the same telephone cable binder," said Professor John Cioffi, Professor of Engineering at Stanford University, a pioneer of DSM research. "DSM is a promising technology for the future evolution of broadband access networks using existing copper infrastructure."

No doubt we will see some further leaps forward in the utilisation of copper conductors for DSL but holding on to old tech like this to save money in the short term is a false economy, fibre optic cable is the future and rolling it out sooner rather than later is what the customers want.

[KM]

the faster it is the more sensitive it is and the less likely you are to get the maximum speeds, just look at the requirements for 24Mbit ADSL2 - i believe the maximum range from the exchange is something like 3 houses along? oh no, sorry, living 3 houses away from the exchange you often can't get the advertised theoretical maximum

[7]

I think there are at least some efforts underway to look towards running fibre from exchanges to more-local cabinets (akin to the typical green cab) that would house a mini-DSLAM of sorts to make some headway into the range problems (I think Sweden uses this layout to some extent IIRC).  Maybe over time, once an underlying infrastructure of fibre is out there, progress might lead to true fibre-to-the-home for end-users (yeah, and I'll probably be long dead by then).

I'm out in the sticks here and at present it means I basically get no benefit at all from ADSL2/ADSL2+ and such (think I'm around 4500m LOL - pretty picture).