Aussie develops technology to take DSL to 250Mbps

While 250Mbps isn't likely to get the drool flowin' quite as quickly as a 40Gbps connection in one's home, it's still nothing to scoff at. And best of all, the technology is quite a ways beyond the drawing board. Reportedly, University of Melbourne's Dr. John Papandriopoulos has patented his SCALE and SCAPE methods for "dramatically reducing the interference which slows down data transmission in typical DSL networks." 'Course, the tidbit you're interested in comes when we find that these techniques can potentially deliver speeds of up to 250-megabits per second through existing telecommunications networks. The only changes that would be necessary to facilitate such sensational speeds are new modems for end users and "operational system changes" for providers. No word on when this technology will actually be put to good use (read: installed in our homes), but the inventor himself is headed to the US soon to take a new position within a startup company founded by "Stanford University Professor John Cioffi, the so-called father of DSL." Bring the goods with you, Doc.

[Thanks, Bram]

[pquistgard @ Oct 30th 2007 9:26AM]

Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi!

[ssuk @ Oct 30th 2007 10:37AM]

I hate you.

[pquistgard @ Oct 30th 2007 10:41AM]

Well you ssuk. ;)

[Mike Polydorou @ Oct 30th 2007 2:03PM]

i Think the dude is Greek , come on read his last name out loud ;)Trust Me

[michael @ Oct 30th 2007 10:04PM]

im greek/aussie... dads greek, i was born in oz - so what!

[pquistgard @ Oct 30th 2007 10:28PM]

I am absolutely confused. Am I Greek or what? I just said Aussie Aussie Aussie.

[Eric @ Oct 30th 2007 9:29AM]

Hell yes!

[Ben @ Oct 30th 2007 9:29AM]

...and the counter has started.
Lets see how long it takes for my DSL to be upgraded. 6mbit just does not cut it these days. What's the current lag with new technology and consumer in-hands use in America? 5-6 years? If we're lucky!

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 30th 2007 9:33AM]

Australia!
Australia!
Australia!
We love you, Amen!

[Eric @ Oct 30th 2007 9:34AM]

Imagine if this 250mb/s dsl service were cheaper than stupid Comcast and their ridiculous bandwidth capping; this ought to shut them up and make them rethink a few things about how they treat their customers. Imagine if it were cheaper than SBC and their ridiculously low speeds in most areas; this ought to teach them a thing or two. I will lick this guys nuts when it becomes available in my town.

[paul34 @ Oct 30th 2007 9:44AM]

Maybe in Australia, but definitely not in the US. ISPs here would never dream of actually giving consumers what they want.

Combine this with their fraudlent advertising (they invade privacy by monitoring and recording your online activities - then proceed to block several legitmiate uses. Their job is to provide their advertised bandwidth - nothing more, nothing less. If you can't handle the heat, GTFO the kitchen!), and you have a lose-lose situation.

Oh, and combine this with the new US monopoly - your world destroyed!

[ssuk @ Oct 30th 2007 10:40AM]

Can I get one of your extra-strength tin foil helmets?

[paul34 @ Oct 30th 2007 10:41AM]

Sorry, the new iPhone update disables tin foil hats

[Kurian @ Oct 30th 2007 9:46AM]

Where I live, we contemplate whether we should shell out more for the 128kbit line instead of the more economical 64kbit one. And whether we should opt for 100MB per month bandwidth or 150MB.

[Tom @ Oct 31st 2007 8:18AM]

Sounds like you're with Telstra BigPond

[Kurian @ Oct 31st 2007 8:25AM]

No I live in India.

[pathogen @ Oct 30th 2007 10:24AM]

You do realize you're whining about silliness. Most ISP's in aus give you a gigabit/per month limit. Now imagine getting screwed like that.

[WTangoFoxtrot @ Oct 30th 2007 10:25AM]

Uni Melb FTW !!!

[Dimplemonkey @ Oct 30th 2007 10:34AM]

and so now the waiting begins....

seriously, if he's not working to sell this information to the greater DSL providers, don't hold your breath! And if he's working for a startup then don't expect anything for a loooong time. Oh well, it was nice to hear about it!

[Eric @ Oct 30th 2007 10:40AM]

I had dial-up, up until a year ago. Dial-up that connected at 28k. I live in the US. We get screwed plenty when it comes to internet access, just like any other country. So far, I don't think there has been one happy internet customer ever. Except for the first guy that discovered pron.

[Teetdogs @ Oct 30th 2007 11:06AM]

I am actually really happy with my ISP Bresnan Communications I hate their TV service but their internet rocks 1MB/Sec up and 15MB/Sec down I cant even use all the bandwidth.

[macbidouille @ Oct 30th 2007 12:25PM]

Call me, uh, stupide, but I'm quite thrilled with my internet access. 100mbps both directions with France Telecom fiber optic. With digital HDTV and unlimited telephone all for about €40 per month which is less than most people in the US pay for 4mbps basic access. Oh wait, that was before the dollar turned into pesos...

[Eric @ Oct 30th 2007 12:36PM]

Well I am obviously coming from a very bruised and bitter point of view on the subject, you're not stupide.

[Steve @ Oct 30th 2007 10:52AM]

Since a lot of Australian providers have you pay by the MB, this would also be a fast way to empty your wallet.

[Fitzy @ Oct 30th 2007 8:04PM]

who told you that? Telstra are pretty much the only ones who do that, when you go over your limit.

FYI:
http://www.whirlpool.net.au/

[Cire @ Oct 30th 2007 10:59AM]

Well isn't this just a sob party. Who has it worse? How about starving kids in Ethiopia - jesus.

[John @ Oct 30th 2007 8:34PM]

seeing as you typed that on a computer, I'm thinking that you could be doing more for the starving children than telling us about them.

[Cire @ Oct 30th 2007 8:42PM]

My OLPC biaaatch

[Primax @ Oct 30th 2007 9:30PM]

OLPC... Priceless!

[CommanderROR @ Oct 30th 2007 11:19AM]

This is a really cool leap forward, but I'm afraid it'll be a long time before this catches on in Germany...
I can live with the 16Mbit I have right now, but I would certainly not mind getting a bit more. Most servers these days can'teven deliver 6Mbit, but that's a completely different matter again... ;)

If they manage to bring this technology to market I'll gladly buy a new router...

[theckel @ Oct 30th 2007 11:22AM]

AT&T would likely pay anything amount for this technology for use of their UVerse IPTV service. These kinds of speeds would allow them to provide multiple HD streams per home as well as their current services without shelling out the money to roll out fiber to every home. Though I doubt they would use the additional bandwidth to substancially speed up Internet access for their customers since that service has a lower profitability than TV.

[npChaos @ Oct 30th 2007 11:23AM]

Hmm, department of electrical and electrical engineering? Triple E?

[Lattyware @ Oct 30th 2007 11:43AM]

I'm still on 1Mbit, and there are those still on 52k, I'm not really that comforted unless they actually give it to us.

[andvari @ Oct 30th 2007 11:44AM]

Hard to believe it. Kinda wonder what cables they have over there. The guy on the pic is cute though... ;P

[moondy @ Oct 30th 2007 11:59AM]

Well atm we have to pay $140 a month for a 30Mb/1mb connection with 60gb of downloads a month.
All because of Telstra, Australia's monopoly controlling ISP that owns the infrastructure.

Now can you imagine 250mb...what of a country i live in.

[johnzilla @ Oct 30th 2007 12:06PM]

I question that this works on "existing" infrastructure. I don't know about Australia, but a huge portion of the US infrastructure is copper that was laid 50 years ago or more. You've also got environmental concerns such as cracked casings on underground cables letting in water, rodents, and other undesirables.

The area around my home was built out about 60 years ago. I live 1/4 mile away from a USPS office that is open 24/7, but I'm almost 7 miles away from the nearest CO. I don't care how good this guy's tech is, I highly doubt I'm going to get 250Mbps over copper wire laid 60-70 years ago from a CO 7 miles away just by changing devices at either end. If I'm wrong, sign me up, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

[jptech @ Oct 30th 2007 12:06PM]

I won't ever see these changes.

AT&T is spending billions to upgrade to 20Mbps and 100Mbps DSL. They're not going to abandon those investments for new stuff. consequently, they will lose market share when they don't.

[Routerbegga @ Oct 30th 2007 12:07PM]

I had no idea Australia's ISPs were like that. Perhaps it might be cheaper to start my own ISP on an island in the middle of nowhere? Seriously, who do I talk to about getting hooked up?

[ether @ Oct 30th 2007 12:19PM]

Well, 250Mbps sounds awesome...but distance always dictates the quality of speed you get. You'd get that kind of speed if you were within half a block of your ISP but that signal still degrades at the same rate as any other signal over phone lines like that. So unless they're going to lay down some kind of NASA space-age super wire and create a hub every half mile in the city you won't get these kinds of speeds. That and nobody outside a mile of a city is going to get anything high speed with this. If you're in a large city, why not get Fiber anyways?

[TrafficGeek @ Oct 30th 2007 12:42PM]

250MB? What, at a maximum range of six inches (about 15cm for ROW), noise shield, and a kw level signal amplifier?

[Norock @ Oct 30th 2007 11:55AM]

If you could get the same increase in performance from some idea you just came up with while sitting at your computer, why would this Australian engineer be getting press and moving stateside?

[shagrath @ Oct 30th 2007 2:21PM]

This guy just reinvented VDSL2 (theorically 250Mbps within a 500 meters area)