Boosting DSL availability

Vierling is working with the Institute for Information Transmission at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg under Prof. Dr. Johannes Huber to develop a technology that reduces crosstalk interference on DSL lines. Interference cancellation (IFC) technology compensates for interference through controlled superimposition of signals. The primary objective is to improve the availability of DSL in rural regions. Vierling hopes to use IFC to further take advantage of the global DSL boom.

Increasing DSL range
“We analyze crosstalk interference on DSL lines and feed in compensation signals in real time”, explains Georg Herrmann, Manager Product Line MS/Q at Vierling. “This is a way of offsetting interference and increasing the signal range.” The connection bandwidth and stability also increase. Initial IFC demonstrations have shown it is possible to largely compensate for interference and achieve an increase in the DSL range of up to 20%.

Improving coverage
So far, DSL is available in homes only if the distance to the nearest main distribution point is not greater than about 3.5 or 4 km. This makes it hard to provide adequate coverage in rural areas. Rapid growth in the popularity of DSL will tend to further increase crosstalk interference and limit availability of the service. Increased crosstalk interference is due to growing usage of existing copper cables that were not originally intended for DSL.

Profiting from the global boom
With this new technology, Vierling hopes to maximize its profits from the global DSL and broadband boom. “IFC allows network operators to significantly improve the quality of their lines through a simple procedure”, explains Herrmann. “They can just connect an IFC connector on the lines and the system will immediately begin to measure and compensate for interference. Discussions with numerous scientists, customers and business partners have confirmed the potential of this approach. Now it is a matter of convincing network operators in Germany and throughout Europe of the benefits and securing further financing for the project.”

About Vierling
Telecommunications supplier Vierling is based in Ebermannstadt, Germany. The company offers communications and test equipment for companies of all sizes. Vierling’s products range from GSM and UMTS gateways, GSM telephones, alarm generation systems and remote control technology all the way through complete portable and stationary test solutions for telecommunications and data networks. Vierling’s Production division specializes in the development and manufacture of electronic subassemblies, devices and systems for companies in all relevant sectors. Vierling has about 250 employees and generates annual sales of about 30 million Euros. Vierling Communication SAS is an independent subsidiary based near Paris in Plaisir, France. Vierling is represented by sales partners in more than 40 countries. For additional information, please visit: www.vierling.de.

About the LIT
The Institute for Information Transmission (LIT) of the University of Erlangen is headed by Prof. Dr. Johannes Huber and focuses on a number of research areas in the field of digital data transmission, including fundamental information theory for digital communications, modulation techniques and channel encoding for power- and bandwidth-efficient digital transmission, encoded modulation, modeling of transmission channels, noncoherent transmission and equalization techniques, digital transmission via MIMO systems, spread spectrum and CDMA transmission techniques, fast digital transmission via copper pairs (xDSL), adaptive equalization and precoding techniques, digital broadcasting systems, digital watermarks and data transmission via power company lines. For additional Information, please visit: www.lnt.de.

Press contact
Vierling Communications GmbH
Dr. Markus Diehl
Head of Marketing Communications
Pretzfelder Str. 21
91320 Ebermannstadt
Germany
Tel.: +49-9194 / 97 - 0
Fax: +49-9194 / 97 - 105
Email: marketing@vierling.de