FS-VDSL Committee

Press releases of previous meetings

Westminster (CO)

Third Meeting

5-7 March, 2001

The FS-VDSL Committee convened for its third plenary session hosted by Qwest Communications International Inc., in Westminster, Colorado, March 5-7, 2001.

The FS-VDSL Committee is a group of 49 companies who share a common vision for a multi-service delivery platform based on FS-VDSL (Full-Service Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line). FS-VDSL enables the delivery of high quality digital video programming, high-speed data and voice services over traditional phone lines.

Since this initiative was launched in Paris last July, 12 network operators have joined, and involvement by vendors has grown by over 60%.

The FS-VDSL Committee is the only industry forum where a full service network solution is being globally standardised to ensure all the required network elements are interoperable end-to-end. The FS-VDSL efforts should help reduce overall cost and facilitate faster deployment options. Minimising operational complexity is a key focus - lessons learned from DSL deployments are being used to ensure that customer installations will be quick and efficient, and customers will experience the best possible service.

"The importance of the FS-VDSL initiative should not be under estimated. Telcos intend to evolve their existing DSL platforms using VDSL to offer a compelling bundle of video, data and voice services to the majority of the world's homes using existing phone lines and a standardised customer premises in-home networking platform. This will revolutionise competition in the broadband market to the benefit of consumers, and promote interactive broadband services innovation on a scale not seen before." said Guy du Chaffaut, Head of Advanced Access Networks for France Telecom who is leading the work to define the FS-VDSL System Architecture

At the Westminster meeting, intensive technical discussions were held to progress key decisions on system architecture, customer premises equipment, VDSL specifications, and operations. The roles of IP and ATM in facilitating efficient delivery of simultaneous multiple services and smooth evolution from today's DSL platforms is the most urgent issue to be decided. The IP v ATM 'religious war' as it applies to the evolution of the telco access network will be resolved in this forum.

High quality technical contributions on architecture were discussed, and the direction for the end-to-end FS-VDSL architecture is now becoming clear. A small group of the world's top networking experts are now studying in detail the end-to-end protocol options for the FS-VDSL system. The work of this expert group will be supervised by the Management Committee to ensure diligence in accommodating diversity of viewpoints. The key decisions on architecture and protocol options will be made at the next plenary session in June.

In Westminster it was decided to progress two FS-VDSL interoperability demonstrators: The first target is to demonstrate interoperability between VDSL transceivers from different vendors in September 2001. A number of VDSL chip vendors have indicated that they will participate in this event. The second target is to mount an end-to-end system demonstration using equipment from different vendors in October 2001. Several major vendors have indicated their interest in being involved in this unique endeavour.

The next plenary session will be hosted by Eircom in June 2001.

Organisations interested in the work of the FS-VDSL Committee should refer to our web site at www.fs-vdsl.net.

The current list of members is as follows

FS-VDSL Membership List

March 14, 2001

FS-VDSL Committee   

October 20th, 2000