France Telecom is launching a new licensing program for DSL transmission technologies using Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT) modulation.
The program follows France Telecom's policy of actively promoting its major patents and software, marketing them directly or through patent pools (groups of patents from different companies handled by the same agent).
DMT modulation is a technique for increasing the efficiency of data transmission over pairs of copper wires. This is an area in which France Telecom and broadcaster Télédiffusion de France (TDF) have patented technology after several years of joint research.
France Telecom noted that DMT transmission has been adopted for the main DSL standards, making France Telecom's patents essential to a number of DSL technologies:
- Asymmetric DSL and its variants ADSL2 and ADSL2+: ITU standards G992.1, G992.3, G992.4 and G99S.5
- Very high speed DSL (VDSL): ITU standard G993.1
France Telecom's licensing program is aimed at ADSL and VDSL vendors complying with the relevant ITU standards. It will enable them to integrate the patented technology into equipment for call centers (DSLAMS) and terminals (modems, modem-routers, multi-service set-top boxes integrating an ADSL modem feature, etc.).
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