Distributed Spectrum Management Algorithms for Multiuser DSL Networks

Modern digital subscriber line (DSL) networks suffer from crosstalk among different lines in the same cable bundle. This crosstalk can lead to a major performance degradation. By balancing the transmit power spectra, the impact of crosstalk can be minimized leading to spectacular performance gains. This is referred to as spectrum management. In this paper, a unifying perspective is presented on distributed spectrum management algorithms based on the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions. Furthermore, novel distributed algorithms are presented within the same KKT framework. The proposed distributed algorithms consist of local water-filling-like algorithms running in the individual modems, controlled by the spectrum management center. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed algorithms perform very well for several multi-user ADSL and VDSL scenarios.