Episode 2
Eddy Barker
The birth of DSL, high speed Internet to the home, and the science fiction that drove that vision.
May 10, 202436m 20s
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Show Notes
Jason Howell chats with Eddy Barker, an electrical engineer who grew up fascinated by science fiction television. That passion led him working with AT&T as he helped create DSL technology in the 1990's, paving the way for high-speed Internet in the homes of millions.
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- How Eddy started his time at AT&T and if developing DSL was his first project
- Eddy's early interest in communications technology like telephones, radio, and TV
- The challenges AT&T faced with dial-up internet and long connection durations
- How the idea of using existing telephone lines for DSL data came about
- Validating the DSL concept and any resistance faced during development
- The rise of companies like eBay, Amazon, and Napster enabled by DSL
- Common challenges between DSL and modern fiber deployments
- Eddy's vision for how technologies like the metaverse, AI, and high bandwidths will converge in the next decade
- A piece of technology from Eddy's youth that shaped his love for the field
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