Qwest tests bonded DSL for more speed

By Jeff Smith, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 5, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Ahmad Terry / The Rocky

Pieter Poll, Qwest Communications' chief technology officer, stands in the company's switching center in Littleton. Qwest is testing bonding two DSL lines.

Qwest Communications is testing technology that eventually could deliver high-definition video on demand by bonding two DSL lines.

The technology could enable the Denver telco to provide data speeds of up to 35 to 38 megabits a second. Currently, the company's fastest advertised rates are 7 megabits a second.

It's too early to say whether Qwest will ever go to a bonded DSL line platform. But if the technology proves to be commercially viable, it could be an option for providing video on demand.

"It's well-suited to deliver video in many ways," said Pieter Poll, Qwest's chief technology officer, when demonstrating the technology recently.

Poll said there would be enough bandwidth to transmit two high-definition TV channels and high-speed Internet service at the same time.

Sally Cohen, an analyst at Forrester Research who has been briefed by Qwest, said she thinks it's an option the company is seriously considering as a way to offer video on demand without having to install fiber directly to homes.

"They're in the same race as every other service provider to offer more bandwidth and better services on their bandwidth," Cohen said. But being in less densely populated areas, Qwest is "in a different ballgame and playing field."

If Qwest went to a bonded DSL platform, it would transmit signals over fiber into neighborhoods, then use copper phone wires into homes.

New Qwest CEO Ed Mueller recently said it would be too expensive at this time to deploy TV services in the company's sprawling 14-state region. Mueller said Qwest instead would stick primarily to reselling DirecTV satellite services.

But Mueller said Qwest would invest $300 million this year to bring more fiber into neighborhoods, and to triple Internet speeds to 20 megabits a second in a number of its markets. Experts note that incremental investment in boosting high-speed data speeds prepares Qwest for a possible video offering.

Craig Bachmann of ITF Advisors in Denver, a strategy consulting firm, said one can assume Qwest is following how AT&T and Verizon fare in building its TV services, acquiring subscribers, and dealing with franchise issues.

Experts say the feasibility of bonding two DSL lines will depend in part on the condition of Qwest's infrastructure.

"The idea of bonding the copper wires is not necessarily a brand new idea, people have been working on this more or less the last decade," Bachmann said.

He noted the technical challenges Qwest encountered when it rolled out DSL in the first place. Many consumers complained Qwest didn't seem to know whether their phone lines could qualify for DSL or not.

A number of factors also can interfere with broadband services, including devices on the line or how the lines have been spliced, Bachmann said.

"It may take install technicians quite a bit of time to figure out where the available and spare lines are," Bachmann said. "Then there's always Murphy's Law where the demand may not be where the plant is in good shape."

Some smaller companies are offering bonded DSL Internet services in selected markets in the United States, generally to small- to medium-sized business customers.

Another reason to be a follower: Qwest may get only one good shot at persuading cable TV subscribers to switch over, said Justin Beech of DSLReports.com, which provides consumer reviews of broadband services.

"It all better be nearly flawless and well-priced from the get-go, otherwise it'll get a bad reputation," Beech said. He noted Verizon's fiber to the home TV project has attracted customers because it also can deliver Internet at faster speeds than the cable company and at a similar or lower price.

"If (Verizon) had offered a product only 'similar' to the cable company but with new-technology glitches, they would have failed," Beech said.

smithje@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5155

Bonding two DSL lines

* Qwest is testing the technology as a possible video-on-demand and Internet platform.

* Such technology could boost data speeds up to 35 to 38 megabits a second, enough to carry two high-def TV channels and high-speed Internet services simultaneously.

* Qwest could run fiber to neighborhoods, then use existing copper wire to homes.

* Still relatively unproven commercially, and would depend on condition of copper phone wires.

• January 5, 2008

  1:17 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Theoldguy writes:

  Jeff Smith

  "Many consumers complained Qwest didn't seem to know whether their phone lines could qualify for DSL or not."

  I was one of the original techs working on that DSL project. One of the major problems that we found was known as "bridge tap" which was a minor problem with dial tone lines, but proved detrimental for DSL. Therefore we were very non-committal when installing new DSL service. All of us installers tried not to promise something that may not happen. When all was said and done we were very proud of what we accomplished in such a short period of time. I'd also like to add that initially there were about 30 of us trying to prove that we could make that new and exciting service work. We did it and that is the legacy that us old timers have left in our wake. I only hope that many of you remember those early days and reflect on the dedication of the Qwest employees.

• January 5, 2008

  7:13 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  MediaVictim writes:

  Even though Quest advertises DSL download speeds of (up to) 7 megabits-per-second, the sad reality is that the fastest download speed actually available from Qwest in much of the Denver Metro area is only (up to) 1.5 megabits-per-second.

  And, sadly, Qwest doesn't seem very interested in upgrading their current system and offering download speeds of (up to) 7 megabits-per-second to those of us who have to make do with 1.5 megabits-per-second.

  I really can't imagine them offering DSL with download speeds of up to 35 to 38 megabits-per-second anytime in the forseeable future.

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