VDSL2 Could Drive Stimulus Dollars to Copper Networks, Report Finds

NEW YORK (Map) - Better VDSL2 equipment will enable triple-play services over copper lines, providing a way for small telcos to collect federal stimulus funding, says Light Reading Insider

NEW YORK, July 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Performance improvements in VDSL2 equipment are enabling more telcos to run triple-play (voice, high-speed data, and video) services over conventional copper lines -- providing a way for smaller telcos to collect some federal broadband stimulus funding without having to make complete commitments to FTTx network deployments, according to the latest report from Light Reading Insider (www.lightreading.com/insider), a paid research service of TechWeb's Light Reading (www.lightreading.com).

Can VDSL2 Turn Copper Into Stimulus Package Gold? looks at the status of the VDSL2 (Very High Speed DSL 2) market, examining the factors telcos consider when choosing to deploy VDSL2 in their network, and whether the fiscal and broadband stimulus measures will make a difference in the market. It reviews the most significant issues facing the VDSL2 community and the work that is being done to address them. The report also identifies and profiles 15 major vendors of VDSL2 equipment, and compares their portfolios and product positioning.

For a list of companies analyzed in this report, please see: http://img.lightreading.com/lri/pdf/lri0709companies.pdf.

"VDSL2 is the highest-speed mainstream access technology that can be deployed by telecom operators using existing copper pairs," says Danny Dicks, research analyst for Light Reading Insider and author of the report. "Its ability to deliver downstream data rates of up to 100 Mbit/s over short distances makes it suitable for the delivery of triple-play services, and is also touted by vendors as a mobile network backhaul technology."

Although VDSL2 was originally positioned as a standalone alternative to other high-speed technologies, it is now widely viewed as part of an end-to-end broadband delivery system, to be deployed along with fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) or fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) access networks, Dicks notes. "As a complementary technology, VDSL2 can help telcos deploy broadband services faster and more economically," he says. "As a result, VDSL2 could be a significant part of a telco's play for broadband stimulus programs in the U.S. and elsewhere -- although parameters for those programs are still being worked out."

Other key findings of Can VDSL2 Turn Copper Into Stimulus Package Gold? include:

-- VDSL2 is a flexible, high-speed broadband access technology that supports multiple deployment configurations. -- VDSL2 is deployed in two distinct ways: as an in-building solution to support FTTB deployments, where it can deliver speeds of 100 Mbit/s, and in FTTN deployments, to support speeds between 20 and 50 Mbit/s. -- Prospects for VDSL2 look promising, as many operators are expected to use it as a part of their FTTx strategy, alongside other flavors of DSL such as the compatible ADSL2+. -- Enhancements to the standard that allow doubling of range or speed are expected to preserve the life of VDSL2 for several years.

Can VDSL2 Turn Copper Into Stimulus Package Gold? is available as part of an annual single-user subscription (12 monthly issues) to Light Reading Insider, priced at $1,595. Individual reports are available for $900 (single-user license).

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Founded in 2000, Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) is the leading online media, research, and focused event company serving the $3 trillion worldwide communications market. Lightreading.com is the ultimate source for technology and financial analysis of the communications industry, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. Light Reading's research arms, Heavy Reading and Pyramid Research, provide the most comprehensive communications research, market data, and technology analysis in close to 100 markets around the world. Light Reading produces nearly 20 targeted communications events including TelcoTV, Ethernet Expo New York and Ethernet Expo London, The Tower Summit @ CTIA, and Optical Expo, as well as focused one-day events tailored for cable, mobile, and wireline executives. Light Reading was acquired by United Business Media in August 2005 and operates as a unit of TechWeb.

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