Next-generation DSL to solve problems of speed and distance

NEWS Next-generation DSL technologies will improve broadband services available across much of Europe by making them faster and further-reaching. Improvements to DSL technology will mean speeds of over 2Mbps and a reach of up to 5km from local exchanges, claims Analysys in its latest research. The telecoms consultancy predicts broadband revenues will be worth €24.7bn in 2008, up from €12.5bn this year, with 15 per cent coming from advanced xDSL services. The study was carried out looking at the markets in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK - though in other parts of the world rates of over 2Mbps are already common. Technological progress will be made in areas of modulation, framing, coding and signal processing, according to Ariel Dajes, author of the report 'Extending the Broadband Market Opportunity'. Reach Extended ADSL2 (RE-ADSL2) will be one technology at the forefront of improvements as well as the increased use of symmetric DSL (SDSL). However, recent research carried out by silicon.com has shown that speed and distance from an exchange are not the only barriers to the take up of broadband in the UK.