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Semiconductor industry

Breakthrough in xDSL Technology Offers 1,000-Fold Increase in Capacity

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

STMicroelectronics and Telia Research AB have jointly developed a breakthrough xDSL technology called Zipper-VDSL, offering a 1,000-fold increase in capacity over existing analog modems for multimedia Internet access, video-on-demand, and future communications services. This innovation enables users to access high-speed internet and video content over conventional telephone lines, revolutionizing the way people connect and communicate.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Zipper-VDSL system has a data capacity of up to 60 Mbit/s over conventional telephone lines, representing a nearly 1,000-fold increase in capacity compared to today's 56 kbit/s modems.
  • The technology offers almost a 10-fold improvement over ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) technology, which is currently being deployed by several telephone operators.
  • Zipper-VDSL products will ensure full interoperability with ADSL and ADSL.Lite systems, unifying the ADSL and VDSL markets into a single market.
  • The technology allows for the development of product variants that use only a fraction of the full-rate VDSL bandwidth, providing the opportunity for OEMs to produce "VDSL.Lite" modems.
  • The prototype system is based on a 0.25-micron CMOS digital IC, manufactured by ST and designed in cooperation with France Telecom/Cnet in Grenoble.
  • The joint development of a single-chip solution has been initiated, with commercial availability scheduled for early 2001.
  • The technology has the potential to create a standard for next-generation VDSL communications, with ST committed to bringing out integrated circuits based on the jointly developed technology.

Statistics:

  • The Zipper-VDSL system offers a data capacity of up to 60 Mbit/s.
  • This represents a nearly 1,000-fold increase in capacity compared to today's 56 kbit/s modems.
  • The technology offers almost a 10-fold improvement over ADSL technology.
  • The joint development of a single-chip solution has been initiated.
  • Commercial availability of the technology is scheduled for early 2001.

Sources:

  • "STMicroelectronics and Telia Research AB Announce Breakthrough in Innovative xDSL Technology," Business Wire, November 2, 1999.
  • "About STMicroelectronics," STMicroelectronics, www.st.com.
  • "About Telia," Telia, www.telia.com.
  • "Annual Report 1998," Telia, www.telia.com.

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