Celerity Loop Qualification System Finds 30% More DSL-Ready Lines Beyond 16,000 Feet and Even to 19,000 Feet.

Business/Technology Editors

DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2001

Service Providers Can Extend ADSL 

Subscriber Reach Beyond Current Limits

Teradyne Broadband Test Division, Inc., (NYSE: TER - news), a leading provider of broadband test capabilities, announced today that their Celerity test system has been proven to extend DSL loop qualification reach beyond existing length limits. A recent field trial on hundreds of subscriber lines across multiple states showed a 30% gain in loops qualified greater than 16,000 feet compared with a state-of-the-art electronic records system which calculates loss using a technique that determines worst case 26 American Wire Gauge (AWG) equivalent. This new capability enables service providers to qualify lines designated as "long lines", thereby extending the reach of DSL to a larger customer base and the potential to increase the overall number of lines sold.

Current records-based qualification systems qualify lines based on line length, which can be inaccurate by thousands of feet, causing service providers to turn away many customers on longer lines who actually qualify for the service. Teradyne's patented single-ended measurement technology produces a loss measurement accurate to within hundreds of feet for each telephone line in a central office, allowing quick determination of which lines are capable of supporting DSL service. Previously, the only way to measure loop loss for qualification purposes required skilled technicians at both ends of the line. A single Celerity test head connected at the narrowband switch test bus can qualify each line in a central office without requiring labor intensive re-wiring at the frame. Since Celerity qualifications are based on loss measurements of the individual line, many more lines qualify that were previously thought beyond the reach of DSL.

"This capability brings broadband to the outlying subscribers who want and are willing to pay for DSL. These are customers who live away from even suburban central offices and read email or work at home and have a real need for DSL," says Daniel B. Burch, Engineering Director at Teradyne. "The field trial proved that Celerity could reliably define the jagged edge of residential broadband services."

The field trial, which compared Celerity results with records-based systems and double-ended loop measurements, confirmed Celerity accuracy across the entire range of loops found in local telephone networks. Using actual DSL modems, Teradyne analyzed hundreds of loops, developing clear definition of the "edge" for DSL service limits. Celerity found 30% more loops over 16,000 feet that were ADSL-ready than the existing records-based system.

Celerity represents a breakthrough in testing technology as it uses patented measurement techniques and expert systems analysis to determine the insertion loss of a copper pair and predict DSL line speed. This is achieved while the voice line is still connected to the central office prior to selling the customer the service and moving the line connection over to a DSLAM. The system performs scheduled and real-time qualification tests to identify the loss, speed and impairments of each line, which can be used to enhance existing record systems to enable accurate pre-qualification for DSL services.

The system accurately qualifies millions of lines in hours enabling it to test every line exposed to DSL every month. Service providers can deploy more DSL sooner by increasing the pool of available DSL-ready lines and increasing the productivity of the provisioning process. The system also extends to service assurance testing of in-service DSL lines, identifying the presence and dispatch location of data affecting faults for the repair center.

"Today, Celerity is being used to test over 20 million lines in Europe and North America," says Chris Barton, product manager. "The system gives service providers the information that they need to more effectively market and deploy DSL services. By clearly knowing which lines in the network can support which data rates, service providers can tailor their marketing and support efforts to maximize their business opportunities."

About Teradyne

Teradyne (NYSE: TER - news) is the world's largest supplier of automatic test equipment and is a leading supplier of high performance interconnection systems. Teradyne's test products are used by manufacturers of semiconductors, circuit assemblies, voice and broadband telephone networks. Teradyne's backplane assemblies and high-density connectors are used by manufacturers of communications and computing systems central to building networking infrastructure. The company had sales of $3.0 billion in 2000 and currently employs about 8,000 people worldwide. For more information visit www.teradyne.com.

About Teradyne Broadband Test Division

Teradyne Broadband Test Division is a division of Teradyne, Inc. The group develops state-of-the-art-testing capabilities that support service provider's goals to sell and deploy more broadband services sooner and improve the efficiency of qualification, provisioning, and customer care. Teradyne's nine years of internet protocol testing experience and industry leading background in layer 1 DSL testing enhances its 29 years experience in providing test systems that support voice customer care for approximately 120 Million voice lines worldwide. For more information on Teradyne's Broadband Test Products, visit Teradyne at: http://www.teradyne.com/prods/btd/.