DLM – broadband's 'unsung hero'

There are some innovations that steal the headlines and completely alter the way we look at the world. Awe-inspiring architectural structures, major engineering works and the development of ingenious digital products are all worthy of public admiration. But there are some innovations that rarely step into the limelight. And yet their impact on our lives is no less important.

Take Dynamic Line Management (DLM), for example. It’s what lies behind BT Wholesale’s DSL Max product and although it’s largely invisible to most people, it really does deserve special attention. That’s because DLM ensures that today more than six million broadband end users receive the fastest and most stable connection available to them. It was devised by BT working in collaboration with its DSL suppliers and it works around the clock to ensure that broadband lines across the UK are always running at their optimum level.

Before DSL Max, virtually all DSL broadband products were a fixed speed and there was no automated management of line performance. If line performance was an issue, it could only be resolved manually once the problem had been reported. With the introduction of DSL Max and DLM average broadband speeds have more than doubled while still ensuring that lines remain stable.

And DLM does this by checking automatically every single one of BT Wholesale’s DSL MAX broadband lines four times an hour - day and night – to ensure end users are receiving the very best from their broadband connection. This generates more than one billion rows of data a day giving a comprehensive and continuous view of each broadband line’s performance. Generating and storing this data is a massive task in itself. But what’s important is that the data is analysed automatically and, if appropriate, individual lines are re-configured enabling the broadband line to adjust itself to highest possible stable speed.

Pushed to the limit

“DLM allows us to push every single line to its absolute limit while controlling potential faults,” explained Ashley Pickering, lead consultant with BT’s Access Design Team and one of those who helped develop DLM. And that means not just line speed, but line reach too. Because DLM pushes each line to its limit, it now means more than 99 per cent of the UK can access broadband.

“To be honest, nobody needs to know anything about DLM...it just sits in the background and tunes up broadband lines as and when,” said Ashley modestly. “If DLM was a person, I guess you’d call them an ‘unsung hero’.”

And he’s got a point. After all, more and more people are using their broadband connections for internet TV (IPTV) and video streaming. Business customers are employing their broadband connections for critical applications such as electronic point of sale (EPOS) units and CCTV. Whether for business or pleasure, none of this can be achieved without a fast and stable broadband connection.

What’s more, the innovation doesn’t stop there. Although DLM is already highly effective Ashley and his team are already looking at ways to introduce further enhancements. A more advanced and more powerful DLM will continue to be the key tool underpinning BT Wholesale’s new family of 21st Century Network-based next generation broadband services, which are set to reach 40 per cent footprint of the UK’s homes and businesses by March 2009.

And despite being something that doesn’t court publicity, there are a number of telcos from around the world who have already registered their interest in the technology. When innovation is this good, it’s hard to keep it out of limelight.