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DSL-Extender Brings Broadband 20km

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the maybe-i-can-have-dsl-at-long-last dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Whirlpool outlines Telstra's new DSL deployment: "Telstra announced a trial of the technology back in January, saying it would allow DSL to be connected to people who were up to 20km from a central exchange. DSL Extenders work by splitting an existing copper phone line into eight separate ADSL lines using a tiny, ruggedised remote DSLAM.""

5 of 149 comments (clear)

  1. You can't fake.... by Ancient_Hacker · · Score: 1, Insightful

    "You can't fake what you havent got." -- Seymour Cray Seymour was referring to virtual memory, but the same applies to copper wires. They're probably relying on the statistical nature of communications: i.e. not everybody hits the "Next Blonde Bimbette" button at the same time. The basic wire to the central office (funny, ours is on "Central Avenue") is likely no speedier than before. it's just getting used more efficiently.

  2. Re:Australian Broadband... by EasyComputer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yea, but thats the point, its for people who are already out of reach, not for those of us who have fast connections already.

    It seems that most people determine the value of new technology only according to how it benefits them, something can be beneficial to a few thousand people, but if it doesnt help us we think its nothing big. Actually this goes for everything, "Oh, they cured cancer? But I don't have cancer, therefore its a waste of time and money and is completely useless", Yea thats a bit overboard but it captures the mentality, I think.

    Ok I'm done, I'll post again in another few months.

  3. Re:there is a reason for this by pixelpusher220 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Dude....call your local gov't and complain. it works.

    Here in Fairfax, VA, when the local cable (Media General) wanted to increase rates...the local gov looked at the massive stack of complaints and said...um..sure, right after you solve all these other problems for your current promised service.

    So make sure you aren't just whining on /. do it someplace that actually makes a difference ;-)


    --
    People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
  4. Re:Interesting, but... by rugger · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Its not a huge technical acheivement, but an important one in spreading broadband across sparely populated suburbs and towns.

    The important thing with this is that carriers can install them basicly anywhere, on a pit, on a pole, anywhere conventional DSLAMs simply cannot be put. Another important thing is that it uses standard copper for the uplink, so rollout is inexpensive.

  5. Completely misleading press release by mike_lynn · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If you read the wording of the press release, it says that people can get access to DSL "up to 20KM from a central exchange". Key words: central exchange.

    When most people in the US run into a distance limit, it's the 5200m/~3 mile distance from *the nearest DSLAM*, not the central exchange. So when people read this press release, they think: "Wow, now DSL goes 15km farther!"

    This is an unspoken lie. The Wikipedia entry their own press release links to lists a distance limit of 3km to the premises and further digging turns up G.SHDSL can be deployed up to about 12km from the central exchange ... or nearest fiber tie-in.

    Grand total: 15km.

    *Apparent* improvement: 10km ... but people forget that their local DSLAMs are already some considerable distance away from their own central offices.

    Working for an ISP has its advantages ... I just ran a distance check between a remote I know of and the central office it's deployed out of: 11km.

    So total distance from central office where I am that people can get DSL: Around 16km

    Distance Telstra should be getting using the technology they're talking about: 15km / roughly the same.

    Distance Telstra claims: 20km

    I don't know where that last 5km is coming from, but I bet it's because in this 'longest run' they've got fiber in there somewhere. If fiber isn't being used, I would _really_ like to see some specs on the data rate they get out of that 20km run.

    The only advantage to this technology is that it can be deployed using an unused copper pair, which is already installed everywhere that anyone would want DSL.