DSL fault location

A test module for determining the location of a disconnection on a test digital subscriber line, wherein said test digital subscriber line comprises a plurality of nodes, said test module adapted in operation to:

• i) determine a measured loop length associated with each of the digital subscriber lines in a population of digital subscriber lines using line test measurements;
• ii) determine an inventory loop length associated with each of the digital subscriber lines in the population of digital subscriber lines using inventory data;
• iii) calculate a function that maps the measured loop lengths against the corresponding inventory loop lengths for each of the digital subscriber lines;
• iv) determine a measured loop length associated with the test digital subscriber line using line test measurements;
• v) map the measured loop length associated with the test digital subscriber to a predicted loop length using the calculated function;
• vi) determine a position for each of the plurality of nodes on the test digital subscriber line using inventory data;
• and
• vii) determine the location of a disconnect by comparing the predicted loop length to the position of each of the plurality of nodes.