From academe to industry or from writing papers to making chips: experiences and conclusions

In recent years, the author has been involved in starting up a high-tech company and bringing both the product and the company itself to a successful fruition. The paper describes the author's experiences from this venture. The product in question was a VDSL modem, delivering about 15 megabits-per-second over unshielded telephone wires in full duplex. The paper reviews VDSL technology, its capabilities and limitations, and puts it in the context of the "broadband to the home" trend. The steps involved in turning a paper-concept into a real working product are described, as well as the main challenges and obstacles. The possible future of copper-based broadband technology is discussed and what may come after it. Finally, the author reflects on possible implications of his industry experience on teaching digital signal processing in the future.