An upgraded version of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology with a longer reach could bring broadband services to new areas of the UK by the middle of 2004, according to a recent report from telecoms research firm Analysys.

Reach-Extended ADSL2 (RE-ADSL2) adds about 750m to ADSL's maximum range. Currently, UK subscribers need to be located within about 5.5km to 6km of a BT exchange to get 512kbit/s DSL services. RE-ADSL2 would extend that coverage to 6.25km to 6.75km at the same bandwidth, while lower data rates of 256kbit/s to 384kbit/s would be possible over distances stretching to almost 7.5km.

"We expect UK providers to start trialling RE-ADSL2 by the middle of next year," said the report's author, Ariel Dajes. He added that the new technology will bring broadband to more rural and suburban areas, although some parts of the country will still be out of reach.

"Two things that are not to be confused are the actual reach that the technology can achieve in tests, and the distances that can be achieved or imposed by operators on commercial networks," warned Dajes. "There is always a trade-off between reach and speed," he added.

Commercial services will depend on the ratification of the final RE-ADSL2 standard by the International Telecommunications Union, which is due by the end of 2003. After that, equipment manufacturers such as Alcatel, Marconi and Lucent should be able to release RE-ADSL2 infrastructure products to broadband providers in the new year.

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