Alcatel-Lucent today announced that its research arm, Bell Labs, has successfully demonstrated a technology that boosts the transmission speeds achievable over just two digital subscriber lines (DSL). In a lab test of "DSL Phantom Mode", Bell Labs achieved downstream transmission speeds of 300 Megabits per second (Mbps) over distances up to 400 meters (or 100Mbps at 1km).

At its core, DSL Phantom Mode involves the creation of a virtual or "phantom" channel that supplements the two physical wires that are the standard configuration for copper transmission lines. The source of DSL Phantom Mode's dramatic increase in transmission capacity lies in Bell's application of analogue phantom mode technology in combination with industry-standard techniques: vectoring that eliminates interference or "crosstalk" between copper wires, and bonding that makes it possible to take individual lines and aggregate them.

"Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs' DSL Phantom Mode lab test adds a whole new dimension to the ongoing '100Mbps for all' debate. The fact that existing copper loops can facilitate 300Mbps at 400 meters reshapes the whole next-generation broadband competitive environment - and will open up a wide range of new business opportunities for 'traditional' DSL players," comments Kamalini Ganguly, Analyst from Ovum.

"What makes DSL Phantom Mode such an important breakthrough is that it combines cutting edge technology with an attractive business model that will open up entirely new commercial opportunities for service providers, enabling them in particular, to offer the latest broadband IP-based services using existing network infrastructure," said Gee Rittenhouse, head of Research for Bell Labs.