Voice ove r D igit a l Subscr ibe r Lin e

( VoD SL)
D e fin it ion
The changes in the forces that shape the com m unications in dustry have been well
docum ented and are n earing the level of com m on knowledge; exam ples include
regulation and technology. Digital subscriber line (DSL) is the technology that is
em ployed between a custom er location and the carriers network that enables
m ore bandwidth to be provided by using as m uch of the existing network
infrastructure as possible. Speeds of up to 9 Mbps to the hom e are possible, given
a num ber of lim itations (e.g., distance an d lin e quality). Using a greater range of
frequencies over the existing copper line m akes this in crease in bandwidth
possible. Voice over DSL (VoDSL) represents a breakthrough service by m eans of
this technology.

Ove r vie w
This tutorial will explore the topic of VoDSL, em phasizing transport m ethods an d
standards groups. First, however, it provides a short history and explanation of
DSL technology.

Topics
1. DSL Prim er
2. Interworkings of DSL
3. With All of This Variety, How Big Is the Market?
4. About ADSL
5. About VoDSL
6. How Does VoDSL Work?
7. Transport Methods within VoDSL
8. Standards Groups Involved with VoDSL
9. The Future of VoDSL

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Self-Test
Correct Answers
Glossary

1 . D SL Pr im e r
A Br ie f H ist or y of D SL
The first practical application of high-speed data over copper wire was
dem onstrated in the late 1980 s at the labs of Bellcore. This first harnessing of
higher frequencies was offered as a one-way traffic flow, called asym m etrical.
These first efforts led to the integrated services digital network (ISDN), which is
historical proof that the idea of integrated voice an d data is not new with DSL. As
another exam ple, data over voice (DOV) predates ISDN. Not too long afterward,
high-bit-rate DSL (HDSL) was created, which is now used for m ost traditional
tier-1 (T1) dedicated circuits in the U.S. m arket.
Discrete m ultitone (DMT) was the next m ajor developm ent that assisted the
creation of DSL. By separating the high-frequency signal into 256 subchannels,
the problem s created by line noise an d other types of interference were
m inim ized. This developm ent opened the door for m ore m arket-ready DSL
developm ent.
Two groups were originally form ed to further the developm ent of DSL. The first,
the Asym m etric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) Forum , is a group of vendors an d
carriers dedicated to the continued developm ent of that version of DSL. The
second, the Universal ADSL Working Group (UAWG), proffered the G.lite
standard (or ADSL lite), which does not require a splitter. G.lite was squarely
aim ed at the reduction in installation costs of im plem enting DSL out in the field.

Bu t Ju st W h a t I s D SL?
xDSL an d DSL are quickly m erging to becom e synonym s, describin g the various
types of DSL that exist in the m arketplace. DSL enjoys a large num ber of enviable
characteristics. For instance, DSL is a very secure service. J ust like a traditional
phone call, DSL is a direct link between the custom er and the carrier. DSL service
is referred to as always on, m eaning that when asked it delivers; there are n either
links to establish nor n um bers to dial an d answer. DSLs speed is en viableup to
35 tim es faster than a standard dial-up connection. Last but not least, DSL is able
to transport voice and data services over the sam e copper wire at the sam e tim e.
DSL, however, does have som e drawbacks. As with any new service, the process
for ordering, provision ing, installing, and testing DSL is still being developed
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within the industry. As m entioned earlier, there are som e con ditions that m ust be
m et in order for DSL to be effective (and therefore available) from a particular
site. Depen ding on the version discussed, DSL has distance lim itations. The site
m ust be within so m an y feet of the serving central office (CO). ADSL is available
up to 12,0 0 0 feet, sym m etrical digital subscriber line (SDSL) up to 18,0 0 0 feet,
and an ISDN like version of DSL (IDSL) can reach out to 30 ,0 0 0 feet. What are
the different versions of DSL? Table 1 provides general inform ation on these
variations in the DSL fam ily.
Ta ble 1 . D igit a l Subscr ibe r Lin e Se r v ice Type s
Ave r a ge Spe e ds
Com m e n t s
Type
( Uploa d/ D ow nloa d)
ADSL
384 kbps/ 128 kbps to 768 kbps/ 384
This is a stron g residential
kbps are typical, but downstream can offerin g. Downstream (carrier to
custom er) is usually faster than
range from 1.5 Mbps to 9 Mbps and
upstream (custom er to carrier),
upstream from 64 kbps to 1.5 kbps.
supporting service types typically
seen at residential/ sm all
office/ hom e office (SOHO)
applications.
ADSL lite or G.lite

Lower-end speeds of ADSL (384

kbps/ 128 kbps) are possible.

A lower rate of ADSL is offered to

extend Am erican National
Standards Institute (ANSI) T1.413.
This version of DSL is splitterless.

consum er DSL (CDSL)

1.5 Mbps to 10 Mbps

This is a proprietary version of

DSL from Rockwell International.

Ethern et local loop

(Etherloop)

1.5 Mbps to 10 Mbps

This is a proprietary version from

Nortel Networks. It uses DSL DMT
techniques with burst packet
efforts like Ethernet.

HDSL

Speeds of up to 1.544 Mbps (2.0 48

Mbps usin g European
Telecom m unications Standards
Institute [ETSI] standards) are
possible.

This is used as a substitute for

T1/ E1 transm issions. It provides a
full-duplex sym m etric path and
uses ISDN like technologies,
developed by Ascend.

IDSL

128 kbps

rate-adaptive DSL
(RADSL)

Rates are offered in ratios between

upstream and downstream .

This DSL service can adjust its rate

depending on line-quality
statistics. One m ay refer to work
done by Globespan Sem iconductor
on a proprietary version.

SDSL

Speeds of 192 kbps up to 1.1 Mbps

are possible.

This is m ore likely a business

service offering, servin g as a twowire version of HDSL.

very-high-bit-rate DSL
(VDSL)

Data rates are greater than 10 Mbps.

This is a short loop-distance

version of up to 3,0 0 0 feet.

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2 . I n t e r w or k in gs of D SL
DSL is able to provide these in creases in available bandwidth by using m ore of a
frequency spectrum that can be transm itted across a copper telephone line. The
traditional phone call travels in the 30 0 -MHz to 3,20 0 -Hz range. DSL uses this
spectrum and m ore, em ploying digital en coding m ethods to m axim ize the
am ount of inform ation that can be tran sm itted per unit of tim e. These
transm issions can be used to transport voice and data services at the sam e tim e.
There are restrictions, however. DSL technologies (DSL m odem s at the custom er
site, DSL access m ultiplexer [DSLAM] at the term ination point of the service)
m ust be installed across the entire service span, and that span (length of
transm ission cable) m ust be able to support these higher frequencies
consistently. Item s such as load coils or other objects that change the electrical
characteristics of the line m ust be rem oved so that the line can support DSL
services.

POTS Split t e r
At tim es and with certain services, a plain old telephone service (POTS) splitter is
used (see Figure 1).
Figu r e 1 . Split t e r e d I nst a lla t ion

At other tim es, however, a splitterless installation is em ployed (see Figure 2).
Figu r e 2 . Split t e r le ss I nst a lla t ion

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This splitter uses a low-pass filter (which m eans that the filter only allows lowband frequencies to get through) to separate the voice or low-end frequencies
from the data or m iddle- an d high-end frequencies. If a splitter is not required
(and som e DSL services do not require such a device), then these DSL services
are referred to as splitterless DSL. A DSL service that does not require a POTS
splitter is easier and cheaper to provision in the network, for a carrier em ployee is
not required to m ake a trip to the custom ers prem ises to install such a device. It
is preferable for splitter design s to be passive (m eaning no power is needed); in
the event of a power failure, the basic phone service is still available during an
em ergen cy.

Lin e Codin g a n d D M T
DSL services can be provided with one of three line-coding m ethods: DMT,
quadrate am plitude m odulation (QAM), and carrierless am plitude/ phase
m odulation (CAP). DMT is typically used for DSL services.
DMT is a m ethod of coding inform ation (line coding) to be transm itted over the
physical phone lin e. The inform ation is split into a num ber of chann els, each
having the sam e bandwidth requirem ents but packaged to be tran sm itted at
different frequencies. This m ethod has a num ber of advantages, such as channel
independence. If a line gets noisy at one frequency range, others m ay still get
through; thus, the throughput is only reduced rather than stopped.
The ANSI specification for ADSL uses 256 frequency channels for downstream
transm ission and 32 channels for upstream . All of these channels have a
bandwidth of 4.3125 kHz, with the sam e num ber of kilohertz separating each
channel from the other.

3 . W it h All of Th is V a r ie t y, H ow Big I s t h e
Market?
A num ber of consulting and research houses m onitor the DSL m arket. Various
forecasts can be purchased that suggest the am ount of equipm ent to be sold,
revenues carriers m ight expect from services provided, and so on. To say that the
DSL m arket is difficult to forecast would be an understatem ent. Several firm s
were quoted in J anuary 1999 with their own forecasts as to the num ber of lines of
DSL that would be installed by the end of that sam e year. All of these forecasts
were exceeded by April 1999, and the growth curve has not stopped outstripping
the updated forecasts. Equipm ent sales are expected to reach US$ 2 to 3 billion by
the year 20 0 5, an d service forecasts are expected to reach US$ 2 to 3 billion by the
year 20 0 3. Actual line deploym ents by the sum m er of 1999 were pegged at nearly
20 0 ,0 0 0 . With about 180 m illion working copper loops in the United States
alone, the m arket size for DSL services is very large indeed.
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Once a basic understanding of DSL technologies an d how they work is

established, a specific kind of DSL m ay be discussed: ADSL. ADSL is the m ost
com m on DSL variety used to support VoDSL service.

4 . About AD SL
ADSL uses DMT, has a splitter and splitterless version, an d can be provisioned in
a rate-adaptive m ode. Rate-adaptive DSL (RADSL) can provide data rates from
64 kbps all the way up to 8.192 Mbps on the downstream and from 16 kbps to 768
kbps on the upstream channel.
A pair of ADSL m odem s is in stalledone at the custom er site and one at the
point of term ination in the network. The chips that are being used in ADSL
m odem s can operate in dual m ode; i.e., either in a splitter or splitterless
environm ent.
ADSL, like nearly all DSL varieties, is a good service choice for a num ber of data
applications. Ban dwidth-heavy applications such as Internet access, local-area
network (LAN) access (telecom m uting), broadcast video, an d distan ce learn ing
are all exam ples of how ADSL can provide the necessary ban dwidth at a cost that
m eets the budget. There is, however, an additional application that is becom ing a
leading m arket seller for ADSL: VoDSL.

5 . Abou t VoD SL
VoDSL is m eans of leveraging the copper infrastructure to provide both quality
voice services as well as support a wide variety of data applications over the sam e
existing lin e to the custom ers site. It gives data com petitive local exchange
carriers (CLECs) a way to increase revenue potential, incum bent local exchange
carriers (ILECs) an answer to the cable m odem , and interexchange carriers
(IXCs) a way to gain access to the local voice loop. In short, any carrier type can
increase the value of its m arketed services basket.
With all the bandwidth enabled through an ADSL circuit, there are som e
m axim um s of service types that can be provided. On e such exam ple is to ask how
m any voice lines could an ADSL circuit provide. Depending on the type an d
am ount of com pression and the actual line speed, the answer m ight be
surprising. See Table 2 for som e exam ple calculations.

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Ta ble 2 . D SL D e dica t e d t o VoD SL

Cir cuit Equ iva le nt s
w it h ou t Com pr e ssion
Cir cuit
D SL Lin e Spe e d

Equiv a le nt s Using
M a x im u m
Com pr e ssion

384 kbps

up to 40

768 kbps

12

up to 80

1.1 m bps

18

up to 110

1.5 m bps

25

up to 150

This is just one exam ple why types of carriers are excited about the possibilities
offered by VoDSL. In crowded m arkets, where the availability of cooper loops is
at a prem ium , the application of this kind of technology can be a shot in the arm
to the carriers profitability.
VoDSL also generates high revenues. A num ber of research houses have stated
that the service revenue expectation for data-based DSL services could be in the
neighborhood of US$ 3 billion a year, while the anticipated services revenue for
VoDSL is expected to be near US$ 13 billion.

6 . H ow D oe s VoD SL W or k ?
VoDSL requires a platform of DSL equipm ent, coupled with platform adaptations
or additional equipm ent that can handle the requirem ents for voice services.
Figu r e 3 . VoD SL Se r v ice Equ ipm e nt

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The following are necessary to provide VoDSL:

cu s to m e r e qu ip m e n ttelephones, private branch exchange (PBX),

key system , fax, m odem , and so forth

in te gra te d a cce s s d e vice ( IAD ) The IAD can serve m ultiple

functions, including those of a DSL m odem . The IAD serves as the
interface between the DSL network service and the custom ers voice
and data equipm ent. The packetization of voice traffic takes place on
this unit utilizing standards-based technology (usually asynchronous
transfer m ode [ATM]). The custom er prem ises equipm ent (CPE)
prioritizes the voice packets over data calls to ensure toll-quality voice
delivery an d then sends the packets over the DSL line.

D SL lin e transports the data and packetized voice to the nearest

carrier facility utilizing existing twisted-pair copper loops. Of course,
these loops m ust be able to support the distance an d quality
requirem ents for DSL service to be offered.

D SLAMterm inates m ultiple DSL lines and aggregates traffic from

them

d a ta s w itch receives the traffic from the DSLAM and separates the
data from the voice packets; data is sent to a data network (e.g.,
Internet), while voice packets are sent to the voice gateway

vo ice gate w a yVoice packets are depacketized and converted to a

standards-based form at (GR 30 3, TR 0 8, or V5.X) for delivery to a
Class-5 voice switch.

Cla s s -5 vo ice s w itch telephony switch providing dial tone, call

routing, and services; also generates records used for billing

p u blic s w itch e d te le p h o n e n e tw o rk ( PSTN ) the public

telephone network

VoDSL broadban d access solutions are now hitting the m arket. These types of
solutions are generally overlays onto the DSL network, enabling the provisioning
of voice services on what started out as a data network.
Today, a VoDSL solution has two basic com ponents: a voice gateway and an IAD.
The voice gateway allows the traffic to be peeled off of the data network and
handed to the PSTN for service and switching. The IAD provides the interface
between the DSL network service an d the custom ers network equipm ent. Note
that an IAD can be used to connect both voice- and data-literate equipm ent.

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From a layering approach, VoDSL has several layers as well. The physical layer is
actually a twisted pair of copper wires. Another is the transport layer, which can
be han dled by fram e relay, ATM, or Internet protocol (IP). Fram e-based VoDSL
actually looks like voice over fram e relay (VoFR); ATM based VoDSL behaves
like voice an d m edia over ATM (VMoA); and IP transport for VoDSL is actually
voice over IP (VoIP). Yet another layer is voice coding, followed by the sign aling
layer. The ADSL Forum is working to the idea that its standards work will
concentrate on using channel associated sign aling (CAS) in its first release of
VoDSL work. Finally, the services layer is supported, offering services from dial
tone to call waiting. The voice-capable switch in the carriers network supports
the services layer.

7 . Tr a n spor t M e t h ods w it h in VoD SL

The VoDSL m arket was struggling in its infan cy to decide just how to transport
the service. Should IP, fram e relay, or ATM be used? Each m ethod has its m erits;
however, all m ethods are m oving packetized voice across packet-based networks
to its ultim ate destination.
IP has ubiquity going for it; fram e relay has ease of im plem entation (if the
custom er site is already a fram e custom er); and ATM has the strongest qualityof-service (QoS) history. Much discussion has been held within the ADSL Forum
to determ ine which course to take. The vote was overwhelm ingly in favor of using
ATM technologies as the basis for the first phase stan dard approach to VoDSL
service. For those wanting to follow this standard work, refer to WT 43 from the
ADSL Forum for m ore inform ation.
Analysts estim ate that about 90 percent of the installed DSLAM uses the ATM
transport m ethod back to the switch. Older techniques use ATM adaptation layer
(AAL1), em ploying byte-interleaved m ultiplexing, which is som etim es called
tim e-division m ultiplex (TDM) over ATM. The ADSL Forum is anticipated to
adopt the m ore efficien t AAL2 (with perm anent virtual circuits [PVCs]), which
uses packet-interleaved m ultiplexing. AAL2 is m ore efficient because it allows the
network to allocate bandwidth dynam ically on the DSL service between the
dem an ds of voice and data services. If no voice services are in use, then the
entirety of the bandwidth can be dedicated to data services (unlike AAL1 with
PVCs, which keeps the bandwidth n eeded for voice open in case it is needed). Use
of AAL2 also allows for som ething called silen ce suppression, which can recover
up to 50 percent of the bandwidth allocated for the voice traffic. Silence
suppression rem oves the necessity of packetizing the silence in a phone
conversation (where n o one is talking) and in stead in serts data into the packet
stream . Table 3 provides inform ation on where m ore detailed standards
inform ation m ay be found.

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Ta ble 3 . Voice ov e r AAL2 St a nda r ds

Spon sor in g St a nda r ds Body
St a nda r d Re fe r e n ce
I.363.2 defines AAL2
International Telecom m un ications
UnionTelecom m un ication s Standardization
Sector (ITU T)
ITU T

I.366.2 defin es SSCS for voice over AAL2

voice encoding form ats
m ethods of transportin g signaling

ATM Forum

AF voice traffic over ATM (VTOA) 0 113

specifies use of I.366.2 for voice trunking
applications.

ATM Forum

new ATMF work item , Loop Em ulation

Service Uses AAL2, based on I.366.2

VoDSL can also be m oved via IP, which is a m ethod described as voice over
m ultiservice data network (VoMSDN) by the ADSL Forum .
A MSDN can be exclusively IP based or in corporate other packet technologies as
well. A pure IP network would transport all traffic over IP, using VoIP
technologies such as real-tim e protocol (RTP) (e.g., RFP 1889). A m ixed IP and
ATM network could use IP for data traffic an d ATM for voice. In a VoMSDN
exam ple, all call-control protocols are provided outside of a traditional Class-5
switch. Interactions with the PSTN, as needed, are provided via a gateway that
typically supports GR 30 3 to interconnect. Call control in this type of
environm ent is perform ed by protocols such as H.323, H.248, or session
initiation protocol (SIP).

8 . St a n da r ds Gr ou ps I nvolve d w it h VoD SL
There are a num ber of standards bodies involved in the creation of com m on
m ethods for providing VoDSL service. Som e of these include ANSI, ETSI, Digital
Audio Video Council (DAVC), ATM Forum , the ITU, and the ADSL Forum .
Each of these bodies has particular DSL related interests. For in stance, physicallayer work is done in ANSI, ETSI, and the ITU T. ATM layer work is done in
ITU T (e.g., signaling, adaptation layers) an d the ATM Forum (e.g., VMOA).
VoIP work is done with the Internet Engin eering Task Force (IETF). Voice coding
work is supported by ITU T (e.g., codecs and echo control). The signaling and
services layer work is being supported by a variety of groups as well, such as
ITU T (e.g., Q series, H.323, H.248), ANSI, and ETSI (e.g., B QSIG), ATM
Forum , and the IETF (e.g., m edia gateway controller [MEGACO]).

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AD SL For u m
The ADSL Forum has a m ultifold focus: architectures and m arketing
inform ation. Architecture work includes study of user requirem ents, serviceprovider requirem ents, and overall en d-to-en d architectures. The purpose of
m arketing inform ation is to m ake the benefits of various DSL applications better
known.
The ADSL Forum has established a num ber of working groups, each aim ed at a
function piece or purpose to furthering the acceptance an d delivery of DSL
technologies. On e such working group is the VoDSL Group. Its purpose is to
provide a set of requirem ents, architectures, and recom m endations that provide
end-to-end solutions for the delivery of interoperable derived telephony services.
At all tim es, the ADSL Forum wishes to use existing stan dards. This sim plifies the
standards process and m akes adoption that m uch easier.
VoDSL sub-working groups are as follows:

broadban d loop em ulation service (BLES)

voice with m ultiservice data networks (VMSDN)

PBX exten sion (deferred)

technical m arketing (VTM)

The BLES working group charter is to establish requirem ents and to recom m en d
an architecture to perm it derivation of legacy local telephony services from
packet-based DSL (e.g., fram e or cell) by interoperable network and end-user
equipm ent.
Figu r e 4 . Ar chit e ct u r e t o Pe r m it D e r iva t ion of Le ga cy Loca l
Te le phony Se r v ice s

Source: ADSL Forum

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The definition of BLES from the working group is as follows:

use of POTS, with North Am erican stan dards as the first version; future
work will include an in ternational version

use of the GR 30 3 interface for connection to the Class-5 voice switch

use of Telcordia TR 57 functionality from the telephone interface at

the custom er side, with Telcordia TR 90 9 specified voice quality

use of a PVC dedicated for m ultiple voice calls between the custom er
prem ises an d the network

use of AAL2 as defined in the ITU T recom m endation I.366.2 Service

Specific Convergen ce Sublayer for Trunking

use of AAL2 as defined in the ATM Forum VTOA 0 113.0 0 0

use of ATM trunking with AAL2 for narrowband services, as

established in J anuary of 1999

use of the local em ulation service (LES) profile currently being defin ed
in the ATM Forum VMoA working group

The essential goal of a BLES service is the fully functional transport of Class-5
switch subscriber line services through the broadban d access network (BBN) to
the end user. Exam ples for services that should be transported over the BLES
architecture include POTS and POTS with custom local-area signaling services
(CLASS). These services are to be provided so that the switch sees the end users
line as a single point of service (no sharing) and that the services provided
operate in the sam e m anner as conventional m eans (e.g., through a digital loop
carrier [DLC]). Obviously, there are a num ber of ways these requirem ents could
be deployed in the network. Using voice splitters is one way to get the voice and
data traffic to the network connections needed. Using voice gateways to bridge
between the voice and data networks is another. A third, upcom ing option will be
to use next-generation switch products that are able to switch the voice an d data
traffic in their native m odes. Regardless of the chosen m ode, POTS m ust provide
the service to the end user in the sam e m ann er and with the sam e characteristics
of perform ance.
BLES calls for each custom er prem ises interworking function (CP IWF) to be
provisioned with at least two PVCs: one for data and one for voice. The voice PVC
uses AAL2, providing a full path for voice channels and associated signaling. The
AAL2 PVC operates as a variable bit rate real tim e (VBR RT) circuit. The PVC
for voice is assigned a higher priority through the network than the data PVC, so

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as voice traffic increases, it receives the service-level attention needed to provide

toll-quality voice service.
At present, the ADSL Forum has not perform ed work to include ISDN signaling,
although the BLES m odel can be extended to include it. The sam e applies for PBX
m essaging, which could be added to BLES at a later tim e.
The m anagem ent facilities defined in the ADSL Forum VoDSL standards are
based on the con cept of m anaged objects, which m odel the sem antics of
m anagem ent operations. There are two general-purpose m an agem ent protocols
of relevance to the m anagem ent of VoDSL equipm ent:

the sim ple network m anagem ent protocol (SNMP), as described in

RFC 1157 [10 ]

the open system s interconnection (OSI) com m on m anagem ent

inform ation protocol (CMIP), as described in RFC 10 95 [11]

SNMP or CMIP m ay be used to m anage VoDSL equipm ent.

The ATM Forum s user-network interface (UNI) standard 4.0 specifies the use of
interim link m anagem ent interface (ILMI). This specification uses the ILMI for
autoconfiguration of PVCs. It does so by defining the m an agem ent inform ation
base (MIB) needed by networking equipm ent to be able to perform this function.
Autoconfiguration is im portant for a m ass-m arket appeal service such as DSL,
because m anually configuring each service would sim ply be unworkable.

9 . Th e Fu t u r e of VoD SL
There is no doubt that the m arket, both business an d residential, is clam oring for
m ore and faster ways to connect to the network in this Internet age. The dem and
for services with DSL characteristics is well docum ented. The ability for the
carriers serving the public networking needs to fulfill this dem and m ust certainly
be tem pered by the developm ent of standards, solutions to line-quality problem s,
and the always-requisite interoperability stan dards, to nam e but a few. However,
there is too m uch dem and and too m any capital dollars chasing solutions to
believe that the DSL in stallation and m aintenance conundrum will not be solved
in the next few years.
One of the m ajor drivers for those solutions is not just data, but traditional and
new ways to offer voice services. Voice traffic pays the bills and provides the
m ajority of the net incom e in the com m unications m arket. In short, the dem and
for high-speed services, coupled with the ability for voice to fund the
developm ent of future network architectures, paints VoDSLs future a rosy color
indeed.

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The beauty of DSL technologies lies in its ability to enhance the capabilities of the
existing copper lines to be able to transport voice and data services
sim ultaneously, at speeds that rival dedicated services in som e instances. As the
num bers of VoDSL lines grow, the network will increasingly look for solutions to
handle this volum e of integrated voice and data traffic.
Next-generation switching products m ust be able to handle this integrated voice
and data traffic at the first point of switching. Additionally, m ore standards work
m ust be approved to further enhance the functionality of VoDSL services.
For instance, the ADSL Forum m ay very well consider m ore sign aling
requirem ents above an d beyon d the existing CAS recom m endation. H.248
signaling for the access side of VoDSL is a good candidate. On the trunk side,
requirem ents for VoDSL network switching equipm ent to support bearerindependent call control (BICC) m ay becom e necessary.
Adaptation m ay very well see additional stan dards recom m en dations as well. For
instance, any packetized voice service m ust contend with echo can cellation. The
delay that is introduced from the packetization of voice inform ation results in
audible echo to the parties involved in the call. It is true that network design can
overbuild to com pensate for som e of the introduced echo, but to be able to
provide truly consistent VoDSL toll quality, som e sort of echo-cancellation
capability standard m ay need to be recom m ended for next-generation switches.

Se lf- Te st
1. DSL allows the carrier to provide both voice and data services on the sam e pair
of copper wires. What other services have done the sam e type of integration?
a. ISDN and DOV
b. CMIP and SNMP
c. ISDN and CMIP
2. Which two types of DSL are used as T1 replacem ents?
a. ADSL and HSDL
b. HDSL and G.lite
c. HDSL an d SDSL
d. ISDL and HDSL

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3. The UAWG created the G.lite ADSL standard. Why is it called lite?
a. It provides slower speeds than a nonlite version.
b. It uses copper that is of a lighter gauge.
c. It does not require a splitter.
d. none of the above
4. DMT, CAP, and QAM are all m ethods of which the following?
a. packetizing voice on to data networks
b. line coding
c. com pression
d. all of the above
5. RADSL is called so because it can accom plish which of the following tasks?
a. charge different rates depending on service type offered
b. change the rate depending on tim e of day
c. m odify the throughput rate depending on line quality
6. Which type of carrier would be m ost likely to deploy VoDSL?
a. IXC
b. CLEC
c. ILEC
d. ISP
e. all of the above
7. What type of device is needed to interconnect the custom ers prem ises and the
DSL service?
a. DSLAM
b. CO switch
c. DLC
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d. IAD
8. What type of transport does the ADSL Forum recom m end in the first phase of
VoDSL?
a. IP
b. ATM
c. fram e relay
d. Q.SIQ
9. What is the nam e of the ADSL Forum standard that supports VoDSL?
a. CMIP
b. VBR RT
c. BLES
d. MDNS
10 . What are the two purposes of the ADSL Forum ?
a. m arketing inform ation and architectures
b. developing architectures and setting new standards
c. hosting the ADSL m eetings an d publishing results
d. m arketing inform ation and standards interworking

Cor r e ct An sw e r s
1. DSL allows the carrier to provide both voice and data services on the sam e pair
of copper wires. What other services have done the sam e type of integration?
a. ISD N an d D OV
b. CMIP and SNMP
c. ISDN and CMIP
See Topic 1.

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2. Which two types of DSL are used as T1 replacem ents?

a. ADSL and HSDL
b. HDSL and G.lite
c. H D SL an d SD SL
d. ISDL and HDSL
See Topic 1.
3. The UAWG created the G.lite ADSL standard. Why is it called lite?
a. It provides slower speeds than a nonlite version.
b. It uses copper that is of a lighter gauge.
c. It d o e s n o t re qu ire a s p litte r.
d. none of the above
See Topic 1.
4. DMT, CAP, and QAM are all m ethods of which the following?
a. packetizing voice on to data networks
b. lin e co d in g
c. com pression
d. all of the above
See Topic 2.
5. RADSL is called so because it can accom plish which of the following tasks?
a. charge different rates depending on service type offered
b. change the rate depending on tim e of day
c. m o d ify th e th ro u gh p u t ra te d e p e n d in g o n lin e qu a lity
See Topic 4.
6. Which type of carrier would be m ost likely to deploy VoDSL?
a. IXC
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b. CLEC
c. ILEC
d. ISP
e . all o f th e abo ve
See Topic 5.
7. What type of device is needed to interconnect the custom ers prem ises and the
DSL service?
a. DSLAM
b. CO switch
c. DLC
d . IAD
See Topic 6.
8. What type of transport does the ADSL Forum recom m end in the first phase of
VoDSL?
a. IP
b. ATM
c. fram e relay
d. Q.SIQ
See Topic 7.
9. What is the nam e of the ADSL Forum standard that supports VoDSL?
a. CMIP
b. VBR RT
c. BLES
d. MDNS
See Topic 8.

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10 . What are the two purposes of the ADSL Forum ?

a. m arke tin g in fo rm atio n an d arch ite ctu re s
b. developing architectures and setting new standards
c. hosting the ADSL m eetings an d publishing results
d. m arketing inform ation and standards interworking
See Topic 8.

Glossa r y
AAL
ATM adaptation layer
AD SL
asym m etric digital subscriber line
AN SI
Am erican National Standards Institute
ATM
asynchronous transfer m ode
BBN
broadban d network
BICC
bearer-indepen dent call control
BLES
broadban d loop em ulation service
CAP
carrierless am plitude/ phase m odulation
CAS
chann el-associated signaling
CD SL
consum er DSL
CLASS
custom local-area sign aling service

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CLEC
com petitive local exchange carriers
CMIP
com m on m an agem ent inform ation protocol
CO
central office
CPE
custom er prem ises equipm ent
CP IW F
custom er prem ises interworking function
D AVIC
Digital Audio Video Council
D LC
digital loop carrier
D OV
data over voice
D MT
discrete m ultitone
D SL
digital subscriber line
D SLAM
DSL access m ultiplexer
ETSI
European Telecom m unications Stan dards Institute
H D SL
high-bit-rate DSL
IAD
integrated access device
ID SL
ISDN based DSL
IETF
Internet Engineering Task Force
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ILEC
incum bent local exchange carriers
ILMI
interim link m anagem ent interface
IP
Internet protocol
ISD N
integrated services digital network
ITU T
International Telecom m unications Union Telecom m unications Stan dardization
Sector
IW F
interworking function
IXC
interexchange carrier
LAN
local-area network
LES
LAN em ulation server
MEGACO
m edia gateway controller
MIB
m anagem ent inform ation base
MSD N
m ultiservice data network
OSI
open system s intercon nection
PBX
private branch exchan ge
POTS
plain old telephone service
PSTN
public switched telephone network
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PVC
perm anent virtual circuit
QAM
quadrate am plitude m odulation
Qo S
quality of service
RAD SL
rate-adaptive DSL
RTP
real-tim e transport protocol
SD SL
sym m etric DSL
SIP
session initiation protocol
SN MP
sim ple network m anagem ent protocol
TD M
tim e division m ultiplexed
U AW G
Universal ADSL Working Group
UNI
user network interface
VBR RT
variable bit rate-real tim e
VC
virtual circuit
VD SL
very-high-bit-rate DSL
Vo D SL
voice over digital subscribe line
Vo FR
voice over fram e relay
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Vo IP
voice over IP
VOMSD N
voice over m ultiservice data network
VMOA
voice an d m edia over ATM
VMSD N
voice with m ultiservice data networks
VTOA
voice traffic over ATM

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