Maximizing DSL Performance

While multimedia services can be a great source of revenue for wireline service providers, they also open the door for significant technical challenges since they require both faster bit rates and higher line quality, particularly for video services.

As the recent Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert) TechZine article, “Key Tools for Maximizing DSL Performance,” points out, digital subscriber line (DSL) bit rates continue to increase through the implementation of new technologies, such as VDSL2 bonding and vectoring. ,

“But with every increase in rate, copper lines become more vulnerable to stability problems,” the article states.

As advanced multimedia services place higher demands on copper lines, service providers need updated line optimization and testing capabilities.?According to Alcatel-Lucent, such capabilities need to encompass three areas:

• Line quality optimization
• Prequalification of lines
• Troubleshooting

Service providers need to implement what’s called “dynamic line management” (DLM) to continually monitor key parameters and automatically maximize line performance to fit service level agreements (SLAs).

“Service providers need an automated method for optimizing the configuration of a DSL, based on the measured condition and service quality requirements of a line,” the articles states. “DLM provides this proactive network maintenance, using a feedback mechanism that can operate on any DSL. It continually monitors key DSL parameters and automatically reconfigures the line profile to maximize rate and minimize latency, while ensuring stability.”

In addition, by prequalifying lines, service providers can assess how well a line will perform when a new service or new technology is deployed. According to Alcatel-Lucent, up to 30 percent of lines may exhibit severe stability problems after a rate upgrade or reach extension.

Service providers also need to actively engage in troubleshooting to proactively resolve potential problems, as well as improve support for the help desk staff, Alcatel-Lucent advises.

Through improved service rollout decisions, streamlined service delivery, enhanced service quality, and faster problem resolution, using the right tools can reduce OPEX (News - Alert) by as much as 50 percent, the article states.

With the above line optimization and testing tools, service providers have better ways to maintain the increased quality and stability required for successful deployment of such new revenue generating services as IP-video over DSLs.