XDSL Net access gets closer to reality

Digital subscriber line, or XDSL, is getting closer to becoming a real alternative to existing high-speed access products like ISDN for connecting users to the Internet at high speeds.

Cisco Systems, StrataCom, and PairGain Technologies will demonstrate today how their products can combine to deliver XDSL, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report.

Company executives say XDSL has Net surfing speeds that are 10 to 20 times what most current products offer, and at about half the cost, the report said. The new technology would improve picture and sound quality and make Net phone calls more viable.

The report said XDSL traffic is routed over standard copper phone lines with Cisco providing the routers, StrataCom the high-speed switches, and PairGain the digital subscriber line modems. The new technology is expected to be launched sometime next year.

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