Patent ID: 7224672

Claim:
An xDSL modem used for digital communication through a subscriber line connecting a local switch and a customer premises equipment, and which includes a digital transmitting unit for performing the digital communication using a data signal, the data signal being separated by a splitter from an analog control signal and a speech signal used for a telephone communication by use of an analog transmitting unit, the xDSL modern comprising: an evaluating unit for evaluating, prior to a start of a provision of a broadband communication service, a transmission characteristic of said subscriber line based on an influence deriving from the transmission characteristic of the subscriber line appearing by a reception result of a signal transmitted from said local switch through said subscriber line; and a reporting unit for sending out said transmission characteristic obtained by said evaluating unit to a network through said analog transmitting unit wherein said evaluating unit includes; a requiring unit for sending out a predetermined requiring signal to the network through the analog transmitting unit; and an analyzing unit for analyzing the influence deriving from the transmission characteristic of the submission line appearing in a reception result of an analog signal according to receipt of a response signal sent back from a provider offering a broadband communication service in response to said requiring signal, the analog signal being generated by said local switch directly connected to said xDSL modem and being transmitted trough said subscriber line, and for obtaining an evaluation barometer indicating said transmission characteristic of said subscriber line, and wherein said analyzing unit includes: a level measuring unit for measuring a reception level of one of a secondary dial tone and a ringing signal which are transmitted from said local switch; and a signal loss calculating unit for calculating a transmission loss by a subscriber line between the local switch and the customer premises equipment based on said reception level, and for outputting the transmission loss as a barometer for evaluating said transmission characteristic of said subscriber line.