Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) uses existing standard twisted-pair copper wire to supports voice and data simultaneously and delivers high speed Internet access and multimedia services. However, DSL services cannot be carried over all twisted pair copper loops that support POTS service. It takes a lot of time and expertise to figure out which lines can support DSL and which lines cannot. In this paper we describe a web-based expert system for automated qualifying lines on the basis of real-time electrical measurements and records stored in telephone company databases. Such system has been operational in GTE since January 1998.

While the internal networks of almost all telecommunications providers are completely digital, the services provided to end-users (customers) by telecommunications providers -voice, modem, fax, etc. -are today predominantly analog. However, the ability and demand to provide digital services -basic and primary rate ISDN, ancl IP over digital subscriber loop transport (xDSL) technology -is rapidly growing.Telecommunication providers are now faced with a series of operations, maintenance, and provisioning challenges to economically be able to provide these digital services. One of these challenges is the ability to remotely diagnose faults and service effecting problems. In this paper we will discuss an expert system -DSTS (Digital Services Test System) -developed by GTE that provides remote diagnosis ancl testing of Basic and Primary Rate ISDN, IP over xDSL transport, digital service layer verification and bandwidth testing, and digital subscriber loop prequalification. 0-7803-43 5 1-4/98/$10.00 0 1998 IEEE 795

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