DSL: Challenges and Innovations —Continued

If distance from a central office, DSLAM and port availability, and line conditioning are not issues, DSL service can be and has been provided in as little as four days. More realistically, however, at least one if not all of the aforementioned problems can inhibit the ability to deliver DSL.

What is being done
So, some obvious questions are: "what is being done to resolve these issues?" and "how long will it take for DSL installation to become as painless and reliable as ordering plain old phone service?"

Cutting-edge Internet Service Providers are now using innovative methods to tackle the physical problems preventing fast, painless DSL installation. These ISPs are accelerating the development of software programs to measure the distance from a residence to its local central office. Such tools also provide feedback about the presence of bridge taps and load coils on a particular line.

Diagnostic tools enable ISPs to know, in a matter of moments, which homes or businesses can get DSL and which homes and businesses require line conditioning. For the DSL consumer, such tools equate to shorter installation times and more realistic expectations about how long any one home or business location may need to wait for DSL installation.

Today's leading ISPs are also combating the port exhaust problem by joining forces with multiple carriers in a region to improve DSL installation time. The multi-carrier solution enables ISPs to choose the best DSL provider able to provision a particular home or business.

If a particular provider runs out of ports, an alternative carrier can be selected, so that consumers don't experience unnecessary delays. If one provider has long installation times, a better one can be chosen so that, again, the consumer doesn't have to experience lengthy installation times. The multi-carrier solution is a natural answer to the problems caused by relying on one supplier of a product as popular and versatile as DSL.

According to industry standards, at least 50% of orders may be cancelled because of one of the aforementioned physical loop problems. The work of cutting-edge ISPs such as my company, Telocity, will help to reduce the severity of physical problems affecting fast, painless DSL installation. These solutions will take some time, but the problems will be conquered.

Marvel at the growth of DSL
In fact, even with the difficulties in deployment, the number of residential areas with DSL services has increased. DSL has been successfully installed in more than 2 million homes, and by 2004 it is estimated that 32 million homes will be connected to the web via broadband. DSL also offers important benefits over competing technologies:

• Higher speeds and greater reliability at a reasonable, flat rate cost
• Wide availability by leveraging the existing telco infrastructure
• Simultaneous transmission of data and voice over the same line
• Dedicated/secure access within the local loop
• Availability of video, VPN, streaming and push/pull services

As an emerging technology, DSL installations are complicated and time-consuming. But just as the telecommunications industry conquered previous challenges posed by dedicated line installations, the same industry is working to solve the problems facing the emerging DSL technology. One can see the similarities and the challenges, marvel at how far telecommunications technology has come, and look forward to the wonderment this new technology will provide.

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