Nortel Networks Adopts Broadcom's VDSL Technology

By: John Spofford

Broadcom and Nortel Networks are enabling earliest VDSL roll outs.

Canadian network equipment vendor Nortel Networks has selected very high-speed digital subscriber line (VDSL) technology from IC developer Broadcom Corp. as the base to build an Universal Edge 9000-based broadband access network.

Nortel has incorporated the Broadcom BCM6010 scalable DSL transceiver into its Universal Edge 9000 VDSL. The transceiver is the result of a joint collaboration between the two companies and provides a single-chip that supports VDSL deployment from the exchange, cabinet, or optical network unit (ONU).

Fiber speed over copper
VDSL technology allows fiber-optic data transmission rates to be carried over ordinary voice-grade phone wiring. Due to the relatively short reach of VDSL, it is fed by fiber wide-area networks and is used to deliver high-bandwidth services at the customer premises.

While data rates of 50 Mbps and more have been demonstrated in the lab, until very recently no practical applications of VDSL have existed. Adding VDSL capability to Nortel's Universal Edge 9000 broadband access system will make VDSL deployments possible.

Broadcom's BCM6010 is a rate-adaptable transceiver that supports symmetric digital subscriber line (SDSL), asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), and VDSL data rates. In VDSL applications, the BCM6010 supports data transmission up to 52 Mbps in fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) networks, and rates up to 26 Mbps in fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) networks. The bandwidth management capability of the BCM6010 also allows VDSL services to be delivered side-by-side with ISDN or ADSL services on the same telephone line.

Nortel's delivery system
The Universal Edge 9000 is an integrated voice and data, high-speed multimedia system for telco central office (CO), digital loop carrier (DLC), and FTTN deployments. Service offerings made possible by the system include integrated POTS, ISDN, ADSL, G.Lite, and other xDSL variants.

The Universal Edge VDSL network terminal offers customers up to 26 Mbps downstream and 3 Mbps upstream of data services though its Ethernet 10Base-T or 25 Mbps asynchronous transfer mode ports. VDSL services to be offered over existing telephone lines by the Universal Edge 9000 platform include digital television, high-speed Internet access, video teleconferencing, and multiple IP data business services.

Lab trials with several major US and Canadian telephone companies are currently underway with field trials expected mid year. One example is 450,000 lines of VDSL that regional Bell operating company US West is rolling out in Phoenix, AZ.