Alcatel-Lucent debuts 'Zero Touch Vectoring'

Paris-headquartered telecoms equipment vendor Alcatel-Lucent has announced an innovation for VDSL2 Vectoring, called ‘Zero Touch Vectoring’, designed to eliminate the need to update the firmware on all modems on the network.

The technology works by using sophisticated signal processing to automatically ensure that VDSL2 modems already installed in customers’ homes can continue to run at full speed without undermining the service quality for customers subscribing to higher-speed VDSL2 Vectoring.

VDSL2 Vectoring is winning interest from many service providers as it promises to maximise existing copper lines for the ‘last mile’ broadband connection by removing interference between the VDSL2 lines in a bundle, enabling 100 Mbps speeds for a quick, cost-effective alternative to large-scale residential fibre optic build-outs.

Since its first commercial VDSL2 Vectoring solution in September 2011, Alcatel- Lucent has supported extensive trials and live commercial deployments of VDSL2 Vectoring technology.

Beyond Zero Touch Vectoring, the company has also pioneered techniques to provide up to 384 lines in VDSL2 Vectoring systems to support rollouts in high-density areas, and is introducing advanced troubleshooting capabilities in the Motive Network Analyzer to help ensure high-quality network performance.

Dave Geary, head of Alcatel-Lucent’s Wireline activities, said: “Trials with leading service providers have shown that VDSL2 Vectoring can effectively deliver the kinds of speeds it promised, and we are now starting to engage in mass-market deployments.

“With our Zero-Touch Vectoring and other innovations we are eliminating the final barriers that service providers around the world have faced – enabling them to deliver higher bandwidths to more subscribers, now.”

Alcatel-Lucent will be showcasing its VDSL2 Vectoring solution at this year’s Broadband World Forum event, taking place in Amsterdam on 16th-18th October.

The company’s existing VDSL2 Vectoring solution has reached the shortlist for the Broadband Infovision Awards taking place in Amsterdam on October 17th, within the category ‘Best Broadband Access Award – Fixed’.