France Telecom has announced a new licensing programme for digital subscriber line (DSL) transmission technologies using discrete multi-tone (DMT) modulation. The initiative 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. 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); and Very high speed DSL (VDSL, ITU standard G993.1).

The operator says its licensing programme 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 centres (DSLAMs) and terminals (modems, modem-routers, multi-service set-top boxes integrating an ADSL modem feature, etc.). "As DMT technology is in widespread use, we are offering licenses at attractive prices and with simple conditions", commented François Jamet, director of Intellectual Property & Licensing at France Telecom R&D.

http://www.francetelecom.com