DSL finds a friend in ATM >BY DENISE PAPPALARDO, East Coast Bureau Chief

Pulse Communications, Herndon, Va., will announce this week at the Networld+Interop trade show in Atlanta its contribution to the digital subscriber line device market with its QLink BDSL, an asynchronous transfer mode access concentrator.

QLink, a multiplexer, is line code-independent and supports both discrete multitone and carrierless amplitude/phase modulation-based asymmetrical DSL technologies. It is designed to let carriers preserve their investment in existing digital loop carrier systems because QLink plugs directly into DLC devices, said Sassan Babaie, director of product line management at Pulsecom.

When ADSL is deployed in bulk volume to residential areas beyond 18,000 feet-its distance limit-carriers will need solutions that bring DSL support to the local loop, said Kieran Taylor, broadband consultant at TeleChoice Inc. "Pulsecom has identified a key obstacle to ADSL deployment," he said.

In general, DSLAM devices will allow carriers to concentrate their ADSL traffic onto a single network using a device that will offer cost and management benefits, he said.

Alcatel Telecom, Northern Telecom and Sourcecom have introduced their versions of DSLAM to the market.

Rochester Telephone is testing the QLink FRC to see how it can reduce costs within its frame relay service network, said Dan Campbell, specialist of data network communications.