Lucent Technologies Introduces Industry's Most Compact DSL Chip Set

Strategic Insights -

Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group has made a significant breakthrough in digital subscriber line (DSL) technology by introducing the industry's most compact DSL chip set. The three-chip WildWire(TM) chip set, targeted for use in personal computers and stand-alone modems, supports both ADSL and V.90 (56-Kbps) analog connections. This innovation allows personal computer users to access the Internet regardless of whether they have traditional analog or DSL service.

The WildWire chip set incorporates Lucent's WildWire Digital Subscriber Line "Lite" technology, which downloads data at up to 1.5 Mbps - up to 30 times faster than today's analog modems without requiring voice/data splitters. The ability to achieve either 56-Kbps or digital modem connections means that a computer with a modem containing the WildWire chip set will be able to transmit data over any phone connection, even in areas where DSL service is not offered yet.

Key Takeaways:

  • Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group introduced the industry's most compact DSL chip set, the three-chip WildWire(TM) chip set.
  • The WildWire chip set supports both ADSL and V.90 (56-Kbps) analog connections.
  • The chip set incorporates Lucent's WildWire Digital Subscriber Line "Lite" technology, which downloads data at up to 1.5 Mbps.
  • The WildWire chip set features an auto-detect feature that determines whether or not the central office has a DSL connection and allows the user to transmit data at the highest rate available.
  • Lucent's Microelectronics Group is working closely with the Universal ADSL Working Group (UAWG) to accelerate the adoption and availability of high-speed digital Internet access for the mass market.
  • Lucent's chip set uses the Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT) multi-carrier line coding scheme.

Statistics:

  • The WildWire chip set consumes only 1.5 watts of power.
  • The DSP 1690 couples two of Lucent's DSP1600 cores onto a single chip operating at 200 million instructions per second (MIPS).
  • Lucent's chip set will be priced at $69 in quantities of 10,000.
  • Lucent's Microelectronics Group ranks first in the world in sales of modem chips for personal computers (PCs).
  • The company has more than 40 percent market share in modem-equipped PCs in North America.

Sources:

  • BUSINESS WIRE, "Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group Introduces the Industry's Most Compact DSL Chip Set," May 5, 1998.
  • Lucent Technologies' press release, "WildWire Digital Subscriber Line 'Lite' Technology," 1998.
  • Lucent Technologies' website, "WildWire Product Literature," 1998.