Broadband Technologies Move to Higher Speeds

by Terry Costlow

As Internet use booms, engineers are moving forward, ratcheting up performance and providing access to those who can’t access traditional broadband technologies. There’s a bit of a push to bring broadband to the few who can’t connect via cable or DSL, while there’s a growing effort supporting Ethernet over fiber optic cable as a much faster alternative to today’s technologies.

According to La Jolla, Calif.-based research group ARS, Inc., broadband use has grown to 15 million homes this year, compared to 3.5 million in 2000. This rapid growth rate is expected to continue as applications such as downloading music or transferring photos will require higher speeds and as more users become frustrated with slow dial-up connections.

Can Alternatives Compete with Cable or Satellite?

Today, the most broadband connections are made by cable and DSL, in that order. The industry has seen a push for alternatives to serve people who can’t get these technologies, but it is not likely that any of the alternatives will challenge these entrenched technologies.

“Both satellite and fixed wireless are for people who can’t get cable or DSL,” said Mark Kersey, broadband analyst at ARS. “But the cost for users to get started is very high for both of these systems.”

The Future May Be In Ethernet

It’s likely that greater acceptance will eventually come for a technology designed to pump up the bandwidth for future applications. Many researchers are optimistic about Ethernet over fiber, which currently has speeds of one Gbit-per-second and is moving toward 10 Gbits-per-second with the newer versions. That’s far above the 1 Mbit-per-second rates of cable and DSL. What’s more, Ethernet is expected to be a cost-effective alternative.

“We can deliver Ethernet over fiber for about the same price as DSL,” said Jonathan Thatcher, chief technologist at Worldwide Packets in Veradale, Wash., and chair of the Ethernet in the First Mile Alliance, which conducts marketing and research for the IEEE 802.3 Standards Committee. “We’ll be able to offer the equivalent of 1,000 times the performance at the same price.”

Using Ethernet to handle high-speed communications is a fairly new development. Though it was the centerpiece of a recent 2002 IEEE conference on broadband, Ethernet over fiber wasn’t even mentioned at the 1999 gathering. Still, promoters feel that it will catch on fairly quickly, largely by leveraging the benefits of high volume.

“Ethernet is fairly easy to implement, given the huge base of experience built up over the past 10 years,” said Luke Maki, a senior network designer at Boeing Co. in Philadelphia, Pa. Many observers feel that Ethernet will be far more cost-effective than using SONET or other telephone-related protocols.

Another factor driving up expectations for the new broadband technology is that there’s more fiber optic cable being installed in what’s called either the first or last mile to the home, depending on which way you view the map.

“Implementation of fiber is already happening in the United States and Canada has a very aggressive program,” Maki said. “Usually it begins with fiber to schools and higher density housing such condominiums. Then it goes to houses.”

As promising as the technology sounds, however, the move to Ethernet over fiber isn’t expected to happen for a while. Technical challenges won’t stall the technology, but installing fiber to large numbers of homes will certainly be a gating factor. And while use is growing, there are still very few regions today that have fiber going from the home to the central office.

Additionally, for now, most home users find cable and DSL suitable for their current needs. “You can argue that fiber to the home is not needed given today’s technologies,” Kersey said. “But as technologies like high-definition television become more common, that will change. People will want more bandwidth.”

---

Terry Costlow has written about the electronics industry for more than 20 years, covering a wide range of technologies and topics.