For those who think being older than 30 is the end of innovation as an engineer:
> Mr. Lechleider’s insight about how to increase data speed came when he was 55. He had spent decades studying signal processing, so he was deeply grounded in the field. But Mr. Lechleider, according to Mr. Cioffi, was something of an iconoclast in a large, often bureaucratic organization. “He was not afraid to take a risk and fight for a new idea,” Mr. Cioffi said.
>> "When the data speeds in both directions — downloading and uploading — were the same, there was a lot of electrical interference that slowed data traffic to a crawl.
>> ... such meddlesome interference — known as electrical crosstalk — could be drastically reduced if the download speeds were far faster than the upload speeds."
Cool, so DSL is prevented from increasing the upstream traffic by the physics - not a matter of upgrading the 'boxes' at each end of the wire.
This problem has been solved by VDSL2 for quite a while: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Very-high-bit-rate_digital_subs... - the ratio of downstream and upstream and be configured freely there. Using VDSL2 with vectoring you can now get connections with 100 Mpbs downstream and 40 Mbps upstream in Germany.
> LR-VDSL2 enabled systems are capable of supporting speeds of around 1–4 Mbit/s (downstream) over distances of 4–5 km (2.5–3 miles), gradually increasing the bit rate up to symmetric 100 Mbit/s as loop-length shortens.
You need to be quite close to the exchange to get the higher speeds. Sounds like it should be a solution to the last mile problem though - strategically place DSLAMS along the fiber where existing copper can be re-routed to it. I have no idea how much this is done.
I remember quite clearly the jump from 300 to 1200 baud and how amazing that was. When 56k modems came out, I thought, that's it, we've reached the limits of what we can push over copper. Joseph Lechleider proved me wrong. I use a pair of VDSL2 modems to connect my home condo to my rental condo downstairs so I can share bandwidth between the two units, and it's awesome. Thanks Joe, I owe ya one.
The trouble with x-DSL is that it is a dead end in most places, other than in running around rent-seeking apartment owners that want cash so you can run cables to the tenants.
DSL today is one of a rouge's gallery of technologies such as millimeter-wave, satellite internet and such that serve primarily to support the argument that "lawmakers should not choose technologies" because someday something else is going to come around. Thus we don't have the moral fiber to install optic fiber everywhere and be done with people bitching about their internet.
Are you blaming your ISP's poor service on the inventor of DSL? I have a 6mb/s DSL connection and have a lot of frustration with it, but that's mostly due to AT&T. If it wasn't for this guy, my internet choices would be limited, incredibly slow, unreliable, and extremely overpriced.
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[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 40.6 ms ] thread> Mr. Lechleider’s insight about how to increase data speed came when he was 55. He had spent decades studying signal processing, so he was deeply grounded in the field. But Mr. Lechleider, according to Mr. Cioffi, was something of an iconoclast in a large, often bureaucratic organization. “He was not afraid to take a risk and fight for a new idea,” Mr. Cioffi said.
>> ... such meddlesome interference — known as electrical crosstalk — could be drastically reduced if the download speeds were far faster than the upload speeds."
Cool, so DSL is prevented from increasing the upstream traffic by the physics - not a matter of upgrading the 'boxes' at each end of the wire.
You need to be quite close to the exchange to get the higher speeds. Sounds like it should be a solution to the last mile problem though - strategically place DSLAMS along the fiber where existing copper can be re-routed to it. I have no idea how much this is done.
My first modem was 2400 bps.
I used to pay $100/month for ISDN that was approximately 1/10 the speed of the internet connection about which you are now complaining.
1.2 Mbps for a reasonable price was amazing when it became available.
You, sir or madame, need a little perspective.
The trouble with x-DSL is that it is a dead end in most places, other than in running around rent-seeking apartment owners that want cash so you can run cables to the tenants.
DSL today is one of a rouge's gallery of technologies such as millimeter-wave, satellite internet and such that serve primarily to support the argument that "lawmakers should not choose technologies" because someday something else is going to come around. Thus we don't have the moral fiber to install optic fiber everywhere and be done with people bitching about their internet.
Are you blaming your ISP's poor service on the inventor of DSL? I have a 6mb/s DSL connection and have a lot of frustration with it, but that's mostly due to AT&T. If it wasn't for this guy, my internet choices would be limited, incredibly slow, unreliable, and extremely overpriced.