The new G.SHDSL WAN interface card (WIC) provides 1-port symmetric high-bit-rate DSL (SHDSL) connectivity to a WAN. The modular routers that support the new card are the Cisco 1841, 2801, 2811, 2821, 2851, 3825, and 3845 series integrated services routers; the Cisco 1721, 1751, 1760, 2600XM, 3725, and 3745 series multiservice access routers; and the Cisco 2691 Multiservice Platform. The interface card is available on Cisco access routers, starting with Cisco IOS® Software Release 12.4(3) Mainline and special Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(2)XA. The first T-train image that will support the new interface card will be 12.4(3rd)T.

The new interface card is the latest G.SHDSL-based WIC for Cisco modular routers. It supersedes existing interfaces (part numbers WIC-1SHDSL and WIC-1SHDSL-V2) while maintaining feature parity with WIC-1SHDSL-V2. (Table 4 later in this document compares the three interface cards.)

G.SHDSL technology offers customers high-speed, symmetrical WAN connectivity at a lower monthly cost than most traditional WAN circuits. Using single or dual-pair copper wires, Cisco access routers with SHDSL interface card (part number WIC-1SHDSL-V3), can provide businesses the necessary bandwidth for critical traffic such as voice and videoconferencing, and can allow customers to save money by integrating voice and data traffic on the same WAN link. Service providers can increase subscriber revenue by bundling services and offering differentiated service levels through service-level agreements (SLAs).

A product of the ITU-T, SHDSL is the first standardized multirate symmetric DSL technology. It is designed to transport rate-adaptive symmetrical data across a single copper pair at data rates from 192 kbps to 2.3 Mbps, or 384 kbps to 4.6 Mbps over two pairs. This covers applications traditionally served by high-bit-rate DSL (HDSL), symmetric DSL (SDSL), T1, E1, and services beyond E1. G.SHDSL represents the worldwide-accepted DSL standard for symmetrical DSL, based on ITU recommendation G.991.2.