A XDSL line card including an allocator for allocating power to the multi-tone modulated communications on each of the subscriber lines, and for selecting control parameters sufficient to effect communications on each of the subscriber lines at a power level proximate to an allocated power level therefore. The line card also includes configurable components coupled to one another to form a transmit path and a receive path to couple to the digital subscriber lines. The configurable components are responsive to the control parameters selected by the allocator to initialize multi-tone communications over each of the plurality of subscriber lines at a power level proximate the allocated power level.