VDSL2 on the Bell DSL network. (Was: Finally on teksavvy)

[Scott Sullivan]

On 03/26/2012 09:11 AM, Neil Watson wrote:
> On Sun, Mar 25, 2012 at 10:57:17PM -0400, Scott Sullivan wrote:
>> I'm not so optimistic. There is apparently a Bug in the DSLAMs Bell is
>> using that makes the current model VDSL2 modem the only one that works
>> with them. A co-worker of mine had made an attempt to use a
>> independent VDSL2 modem with the service without success.
>
> I spoke with a colleague, who runs a small ISP. He told me that the
> modem lock-in is a Bell flimflam and that there will be a CRTC hearing
> about it later this year.
>

I did some digging into this.

The Alcatel 7330 ISAM is the VDSL2 slam that Bell has been deploying for 
the last few years to provide the FTTN (VDSL2 / 25Mbps) Service to 
customers. The majority of those slams out there are running a 
pre-finalized version of the VDSL2 spec which they got wrong. This is 
the reason only Bell's provided modems will work.

Working for an Independent DSL ISP, I can say that I do see the 7330 as 
a very common equipment type for many customer and I've not yet seen a 
an FTTN (> 6Mbps) on anything else (*).

This document[2] lists a 7330 ISLAM safe mode as a feature, providing 
some evidence to support this.


[1]: http://broadbandsoho.com/FTTx/Alcatel_7330_ISAM.pdf
[2]: http://www.oracul.kiev.ua/pdf/41_Prelim_6_06_rev400.pdf

(*) The 7330 also do ADSL2+, which is anything below 25Mbps without a 
7Mbps upload.

If anyone can find an independent VDSL2 modem that works with these 
SLAMs I would very much like to know.

-- 
Scott Sullivan
--
The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings: http://gtalug.org/
TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
How to UNSUBSCRIBE: http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists