ITU Approves Standard for G.lite ADSL

Passage of G.lite standard sets the stage for mass-market deployment of broadband Internet services worldwide.

by Ted Stevenson
Managing Editor, ISP-Planet
[June 23, 1999]

Acting with unprecedented speed and unanimity, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) yesterday voted final approval of the standard for G.lite technology (also known as Universal ADSL). Specifications for the standard were determined last October. The ITU vote sets the stage for equipment vendors and service providers to deploy compatible products and services for the mass market worldwide.

G.lite is a version of ADSL that accesses the Internet with downstream speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps--about 30 times that of the fastest analog modems. Upstream performance tops out at 512 Kbps, or roughly 10 times maximum modem speed. Specifically tailored for the consumer market segment, G.lite promises to provide a cost-effective solution that simplifies on-site installation by reducing the need for new wiring and special signal "splitters" that separate voice and data at the customer premise.

"We at the ADSL Forum are pleased with the industry-wide cooperation that has led to the ITU's ability to ratify the G.lite standard so quickly," said Hans-Erhard Reiter, Chairman and President of the ADSL Forum. "We plan to build on this progress by continuing the G.lite interoperability testing to accelerate the deployment of DSL products and services to the mass market."

Meeting in Geneva, the ITU voted to approve G.lite as an industry standard for ADSL on June 22, 1999, a significant step that the industry recognizes as an opportunity to make G.lite products and services easily accessible via the retail channel. Setting the standard will likely give DSL deployment a boost as the industry rallies around the G.lite standard rather than proprietary alternatives.

"Today's vote by the ITU to formalize G.lite as an industry standard for DSL is a tremendous step forward for consumers," said Kevin Kahn, member of the ADSL Forum's Board of Directors. "With the standard now firmly in place, vendors and service providers can work confidently to meet the waiting consumer demand for high-speed Internet access with product and service deployments."

Significant G.lite compatibility progress was demonstrated earlier this month at the SuperComm show in Atlanta, Georgia, where over 30 companies demonstrated the interoperability of DSL products. Full-fledged service trials have already tested G.lite service and have highlighted the seamless DSL installation process.

—End

Related story: Move Over Cable, Here Comes G.Lite!