The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has voted final approval of the standard for G.lite technology (also known as Universal ADSL).
Specifications for the standard were determined last October. The ITU vote
sets the stage for equipment vendors and service providers to deploy
compatible products and services for the mass market worldwide.
G.lite is a version of ADSL that accesses the Internet with downstream
speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps — about 30 times that of the fastest analog modems.
Upstream performance tops out at 512 Kbps, or roughly 10 times maximum
modem speed.
Specifically tailored for the consumer market
segment, G.lite promises to provide a cost-effective solution that
simplifies on-site installation by reducing the need for new wiring and
special signal “splitters” that separate voice and data at the customer
premise.
“We at the ADSL Forum are pleased with the industry-wide cooperation
that has led to the ITU’s ability to ratify the G.lite standard so
quickly,” said Hans-Erhard Reiter, chairman and president of the ADSL
Forum.
“We plan to build on this progress by continuing the G.lite
interoperability testing to accelerate the deployment of DSL products
and services to the mass market.”
Meeting in Geneva, the ITU voted to approve G.lite as an industry
standard for ADSL on June 22, a significant step that the industry
recognizes as an opportunity to make G.lite products and services easily
accessible via the retail channel.
Setting the standard will likely give
DSL deployment a boost as the industry rallies around the G.lite
standard rather than proprietary alternatives.
Significant G.lite compatibility progress was demonstrated earlier this
month at the SuperComm show in Atlanta, Georgia, where over 30 companies
demonstrated the interoperability of DSL products. Full-fledged service
trials have already tested G.lite service and have highlighted the
seamless DSL installation process.
