Westell taps into new DSL modem

Westell will unveil in the next several weeks a DSL modem that the company claims can significantly increase the performance and reach on loops with bridge taps.

The Multi-Hybrid modem uses a series of technologies to essentially cancel out the impact of bridge taps. According to a Bellcore study of a Midwestern regional Bell company in 1997, about 75% of all loops have some type of bridge tap. The same study found that about 33% of the carrier’s loops have bridge taps that run between 250-500 feet long, according to Brian Powers, vice president of marketing for Westell.

“The telcos have gotten very big on user experience now,” he said. “And a bad experience is costing them.”

Typical of most marketing pushes today, though, Westell is banking on saving carriers operating expense by eliminated truck rolls to homes on loops with bridge taps. At the same time, the new modems can improve data rates available to existing customers and increase service areas to 18,000 feet.

“With the margins they’re getting, they can’t afford to do a truck roll,” said Powers, noting that when customers are between 12,000-18,000 feet they may qualify for DSL but the speed and experience puts them in danger of churning to cable modems. “About 20% of what gets deployed is in that gray area.”

The Multi-Hybrid modem eliminates the impact of taps in part by separating transmit and receive signals on a 2-wire transmission line. Additionally, the modem also acts as a low pass filter that filters out ADSL Frequencies to POTS devices, eliminating the need for a filter that would sit at the network interface device on the side of the home.

The announcement comes just a few weeks after Westell said it was increasing production by 45% in response to increased customers demand.