What is Asymmetrical Bandwidth?

Asymmetrical bandwidth is a type of internet connection in which the upload and download speeds are not equal. It is commonly used in residential internet connections, where the majority of the data transmitted is for downloading content such as streaming video, browsing web pages, and downloading files. 

Internet service providers developed asymmetrical bandwidth to accommodate the typical usage patterns of home internet users. ISPs recognized usage patterns that have shown how faster download speeds can offer customers more value than faster upload speeds. Asymmetrical bandwidth became the cost-effective solution to provide high-speed internet access to residential customers while minimizing the investment in expensive infrastructure needed for symmetrical bandwidth connections.

Dissecting Asymmetrical Bandwidth

Asymmetrical bandwidth, also known as asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL), came about as a solution to the problem of providing faster internet speeds for downloading data than for uploading data. It was developed by Bell Labs in the 1980s and was standardized in 1999 by the ITU.

Asymmetrical bandwidth is achieved by dividing the available frequency spectrum into two channels: one for downstream data transmission (from the internet to the user) and one for upstream data transmission (from the user to the internet) through a modulation technique, called discrete multitone modulation (DMT), that allows it to transmit data over existing copper telephone lines. 

In an asymmetrical bandwidth connection, the frequency range used for upstream data transmission is narrower than the frequency range used for downstream data transmission, allowing for greater bandwidth in the downstream direction. This is achieved through the use of digital signal processing (DSP) techniques in communication technologies that allow the manipulation of the frequency spectrum of processed analog signals into different bands.

Requirements of Asymmetrical Bandwidth

To implement an asymmetrical bandwidth connection, ISPs must meet the following requirements indicated in the ITU’s ITU-T recommendations that helps ensure their network infrastructure can support asymmetrical bandwidth connections:

Bandwidth Management

Asymmetrical bandwidth requires effective bandwidth management to ensure that data is prioritized correctly. This is necessary because the limited upload bandwidth must be shared among multiple users, devices, and applications. Some of the bandwidth management techniques specifically used for asymmetrical bandwidth are:

• Quality of Service (QoS): QoS ensures that critical traffic is prioritized over less important traffic. In asymmetrical bandwidth connections, QoS is necessary to ensure that latency-sensitive traffic like video conferencing or online gaming is prioritized over non-critical traffic like email or web browsing.
• Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation: Dynamic bandwidth allocation is a technique that assigns bandwidth to users dynamically based on their current needs. It can be used to ensure that users receive sufficient bandwidth when they need it most.

Modulation Techniques

Modulation techniques are used to modulate the digital signals over the physical medium (copper, fiber, wireless) used for the connection. In asymmetrical bandwidth, these modulation techniques are optimized to prioritize download speeds over upload speeds.

• Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK): ASK is a simple modulation technique that encodes digital data by varying the amplitude of the carrier signal. It is often used for downstream transmission in asymmetrical bandwidth.
• Frequency Shift Keying (FSK): FSK encodes digital data by varying the frequency of the carrier signal. It is often used for upstream transmission in asymmetrical bandwidth.
• Phase Shift Keying (PSK): PSK encodes digital data by varying the phase of the carrier signal. It is more complex than ASK and FSK, but it provides higher data rates and better spectral efficiency. It is often used for downstream transmission in asymmetrical bandwidth.
• Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM): QAM is a complex modulation technique that combines ASK and PSK to encode digital data by varying both the amplitude and phase of the carrier signal. It is often used for downstream transmission in asymmetrical bandwidth and provides high data rates and good spectral efficiency.

Network Equipment

Network equipment such as routers, switches, and modems must be capable of supporting asymmetrical bandwidth connections. This includes the ability to prioritize traffic and allocate bandwidth effectively. 

Asymmetrical Bandwidth Allocation Process

ADSL uses frequency division multiplexing (FDM) to divide the available frequency range of copper telephone lines into multiple channels, each of which can be used to transmit data asymmetrically.

In the context of ADSL, "channels" refer to the frequency bands that are used to transmit data over the copper telephone lines. There are typically two types of channels used in ADSL:

• Downstream Channels: The downstream channels are used to transmit data from the Internet to the user's computer. These channels are wider and can transmit more data than the upstream channels. The downstream channels typically use frequencies between 25 kHz and 1.1 MHz.
• Upstream Channels: The upstream channels are used to transmit data from the user's computer to the Internet. These channels are narrower and can transmit less data than the downstream channels. The upstream channels typically use frequencies between 138 kHz and 276 kHz.

Once the channels have been established, the bandwidth can be allocated in an unequal manner, meaning that more bandwidth can be allocated to the downstream channels than to the upstream channels. The asymmetrical bandwidth allocation process typically follows these steps:

Step 1: Initial Negotiation

When a user connects to the ADSL service, the modem initiates a negotiation process with the DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) at the other end of the line. During this negotiation, the modem and the DSLAM agree on the maximum bandwidth that can be allocated to the user's connection.

Step 2: Splitting the Frequency Spectrum

Once the negotiation is complete, the DSLAM splits the available frequency spectrum into downstream and upstream channels. The downstream channels are given a wider frequency range and more bandwidth than the upstream channels.

Step 3: Bandwidth Allocation

The DSLAM then allocates the available bandwidth between the downstream and upstream channels. The amount of bandwidth allocated to each channel is determined by a number of factors, including:

• Negotiated Maximum Bandwidth: The maximum amount of bandwidth allocated to each channel based on the initial negotiation between the modem and the DSLAM.
• Quality of the Telephone Line: A poor quality line can result in more noise or interference, leading to a lower bandwidth allocation to each channel.
• Distance between the User's Modem and the DSLAM: The further the distance between the user's modem and the DSLAM, the more attenuation occurs, which can result in a reduction in bandwidth allocation.

Step 4: Dynamic Bandwidth Management

The bandwidth allocation process is not static, and the DSLAM continuously monitors the quality of the connection and adjusts the bandwidth allocation as needed. If the user's connection becomes noisy or unstable, the DSLAM may reduce the amount of bandwidth allocated to the downstream channels to ensure a more stable connection.

Step 5: Quality of Service (QoS)

Finally, the DSLAM may also allocate different amounts of bandwidth to different types of traffic, based on Quality of Service (QoS) policies. The DSLAM may allocate more bandwidth to video streaming traffic than to file downloads, to ensure that video streams are not interrupted or degraded by other network traffic.