Affordable Multi-Megabit/s Network Access to Internet
via Telephone Lines to be fostered by single transmission standard

Geneva, 5 July 1999 — The ITU announced today that its Telecommunication Standardization Sector had approved a set of new world standards providing Multi-Megabit/s network access via ordinary telephone subscriber lines by using ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) technology thus meeting its commitment announced last October¹. The approved standards, also called ITU-T Recommendations are effective immediately.

Systems based upon these ITU-T Recommendations are being introduced in many countries to provide affordable access to Internet, teleworking, distance learning, and multi-media services at speeds many times faster than possible via today’s ‘dial-up’ modems, thus completing the ‘last mile’ in high-speed subscriber-to-subscriber data connections.

"These services answer the urgent need of telecommunications customers for instantaneous access to multi-media information, and the approval today is well timed for telecommunications and computer equipment vendors, service providers and network operators alike, since many companies are now introducing systems and services on a large scale, based upon these new world standards for ADSL", said Peter Wery, Chairman of ITU-T Study Group 15.

The approved ADSL Recommendations establish a set of coordinated specifications for compatible systems that operate over a range of bit-rates from less than 1 Mbit/s to about 7 Mbit/s. Furthermore, these Recommendations have strong commonality with regional ADSL standards. As a result, work in ITU-T led to world-wide agreement on a single standard transmission method for ADSL systems, the technical specifications having been agreed by Study Group 15 last October thus providing the technical stability required by manufacturers and service providers to start bringing compatible products to the market. This single transmission method for ADSL is now in use by network operators, service providers and telecommunications equipment and computer systems vendors around the world, facilitating the interoperability of ADSL systems from different equipment suppliers.

Indeed, several companies have announced progress in demonstrating multi-vendor interoperability of ADSL systems based upon the earlier drafts of the ITU-T Recommendations. System interoperability provides both consumer and business customers with the freedom to choose among equipment from many different vendors.

The set of the approved ITU-T ADSL Recommendations covers:

• ADSL transmission at rates up to about 7 Mb/s with the use of a filter to split data from voice-band signals (G.992.1)
• ADSL transmission at rates up to 1.5 Mb/s with a simplified service installation and reduced modem cost. This typically avoids the need to install new wire or a splitting filter in the customer premises (G.992.2)
• Method for DSL systems to negotiate mutually supported operating modes (G.994.1)
• Reference architecture for ADSL system (G.995.1)
• Test methods for ADSL systems (G.996.1)
• Management of ADSL systems (G.997.1)

"Regarding the future evolution of the family of ITU-T DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) Recommendations, work is already underway on potential enhancements, including topics such as even higher bit rates, increased loop reach, and support of combined voice and data access, for both, symmetrical and asymmetrical operation", Peter Wery added.

For more information, please contact:

Note to Editors:

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a global organization where the public and private sectors cooperate for the development of telecommunications and the harmonization of national telecommunication policies. It consists of 188 Member States and some 500 Sectors members representing public and private companies and organizations. Its Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) coordinates the development of global communications standards. ITU-T Study Group 15, where the work on these specifications has been carried out, is responsible for the standards development in the area of transport networks, systems and equipment.

________________