Fast Net News, DSL Prime, DOCSIS Report

Several years ago, AT&T targeted 2013 for vectoring to enable doubled DSL speeds over short loops like their U-Verse field terminals. Huawei now is announcing a prototype unit of “node level vectoring” designed for just such a deployment, sure to be matched quickly by Alcatel, AT&T’s primary supplier.

    “Node scale” vectoring was introduced by Ikanos in 2009 to solve the problem of mixed networks that share the same binders connecting to a neighborhood. Previous vectoring demonstrations proved the concept worked for new deployments where all the lines were connected to a single DSLAM/line card with vectored noise cancellation built in. That’s fine for new deployments, but inadequate when some of the lines are connected to any of the 300M DSL ports already deployed.

    The top line in the chart here from Ikanos shows the potential of vectoring, nearly doubling speeds at short distances. At around 500 meters, the speed gains are much less and they tail off substantially by about 1,000 meters. The middle line is Ikanos' projection of the results of just vectoring the line card, not the complete node. Other companies believe they will do much better; I suspect Ikanos has made some arbitrary assumptions that reduce competitors likely performance.

    Ikanos’ solution, now reinforced by Huawei’s announcement, is to do the noise cancellation earlier in the network, presumably with a small but powerful processor for each node. Huawei, the #2 DSLAM manufacturer, delivered units worth over $400M in 2010. The Huawei prototype yields “average bandwidth of 100 Mbit/s over a 300m access distance and an average of 80 Mbit/s over a 500m access distance. The bandwidth increases by 70%.” Huawei’s timetable for deployment is 2013.

   I look forward to the results but will remain skeptical of everyone's claims until units prove out in the field. Some of the background.  A simple explanation of how vectoring works. Ikanos' node scale proposals. Some of the issues on the path to 100 meg. Alcatel's experience. Several companies are briefing me under embargo in the two weeks between now and BBWF, and I expect to hear a great deal more about fast DSL gear.

From the companies

Huawei Develops World's First Node Level Vectoring Prototype

[Shenzhen, China, Aug 15, 2011]: Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced the successful development of the world's first node level vectoring (NLV) prototype. The breakthrough technology allows small- and medium-capacity devices to work together to provide large-capacity vectoring functionality, significantly increasing bandwidth and enhancing network stability for DSL network operators. NLV also help operators optimize their network investments by enabling step-by-step construction and smooth network evolution that enables operators to reduce capital expenditures and lower the total cost of ownership.

As ultra-broadband services expand globally, operators around the world are facing ever-increasing demands for greater bandwidth access. This is especially true for DSL networks – the most widely used broadband technology – where "crosstalk" interference between DSL channels has significantly limited bandwidth capacity in the past. With Huawei's NLV technology, crosstalk offsetting technologies eliminate crosstalk on lines, significantly enhancing VDSL2 performance.

According to lab data, when multiple NLV-enabled devices work together, they provide an average bandwidth of 100 Mbit/s over a 300m access distance and an average of 80 Mbit/s over a 500m access distance. The bandwidth increases by 70% from when vectoring has not been used.

Due to the nature that crosstalk randomly occurs on non-specific wire pairs in an entire bundle of cables, VDSL2 performance will be greatly enhanced only when NLV is used on all cables connected to a site. By comparison, the board level vectoring (BLV) technology and system level vectoring (SLV) technology cannot achieve such performance enhancement.

"DSL is a highly relevant technology with strong market prospects, and Huawei's vectoring technology will effectively enhance the performance of DSL networks and prolong the lifecycle of copper wires," said You Yiyong, president of Huawei's Access Network Product Line. "Huawei is committed to being continuously involved in the development of industry standards and new technology research. The newly developed NLV prototype paves the way for market deployment of vectoring technology, which we expect within one or two years."

From Ikanos

Breakthrough Technology Dramatically Increases Broadband Speeds and Reliability

Ikanos NodeScale™ Vectoring technology enables service providers to deliver advanced high-speed multimedia services via traditional copper networks. NodeScale Vectoring virtually eliminates the crosstalk that occurs on copper wire across an entire node - from 192 to 384 ports. By identifying and canceling crosstalk interference, independent of binder, cable or chassis, NodeScale Vectoring increases robustness and reliability, resulting in dramatically increased broadband throughput speeds.

NodeScale Vectoring is a comprehensive and scalable approach for both legacy and next generation network deployments. This helps the carrier realize the benefit of NodeScale Vectoring across their entire FTTN network. The architecture of Ikanos' central office solution allows carriers to use a single line card to support upgrades on a line-by-line basis for a pay-as-you-go vectored network deployment.

Key Features

• Architecture scalable from 8 ports to 384 ports
• Pay-as-you-go upgrades
• Efficient use of backplane resources
• Low latency (<1 sync symbol)
• Maximum flexibility and upgradability
• Low component count approach
• Low power consumption

Ikanos NodeScaleTM Vectoring technology enables fiber-class performance over copper. Service providers can optimize the performance of their VDSL networks through the implementation of DSM-3 compliant, noise mitigation equipment.

NodeScale Vectoring is a comprehensive and scalable approach for both legacy and next- generation network deployments. By utilizing NodeScale Vectoring, service providers can significantly exceed previously attainable performance levels, enabling throughput speeds of 100 Mbps.

Performance Advantages

NodeScale Vectoring enables dramatic benefits. By identifying and canceling crosstalk interference, independent of binder, cable or chassis, NodeScale Vectoring increases robustness and reliability. Since it works over an entire node, it dramatically increases broadband.

Utilizing the existing copper plant to deliver broadband speeds equivalent to and in many cases exceeding fiber, NodeScale Vectoring provides significant cost advantages in the last mile. In addition, Ikanos’ advanced broadband DSL chipsets consume the lowest power in the industry (<1W per port) and are compliant with European Code of Conduct (CoC) power consumption standards, providing for state-of– the-art power savings and efficiencies.

Scalable and Upgradable

Ikanos’ NodeScale Vectoring architecture is scalable — up to 384 ports. This scalability enables service providers to address all nodes in their network, regardless of the number of customers that each node is servicing. This helps the carrier realize the benefit of NodeScale Vectoring across their entire FTTN network. In addition, the architecture of Ikanos’ central office solution allows carriers to use a single line card to support upgrades on a line-byline basis for a pay-as-you-go vectored network deployment.

Compliance with Industry Standards

Ikanos’ NodeScale Vectoring complies with the International Telecommunication Union standards group G.vector (ITU-T G.993.5) standard, which provides for dynamic spectrum management level 3 (DSM-3) through the use of advanced crosstalk cancellation techniques. DSM-3 aims at identifying, diagnosing and reducing or eliminating downstream and upstream crosstalk phone line interference, as well as increasing the stability of DSL lines. Service providers can optimize the performance of their VDSL networks through the implementation of DSM-3 compliant, noise mitigation equipment.