Receiver equalization increases link distance without adding EMI: receiver equalization uses a tailored amplifier-transfer function to compensate for transmission-media loss and phase shift at high frequencies. You can characterize the equalizers performance with the transmission media using external phase modulation of input data at frequencies higher than the deserializer's clock-recovery-loop bandwidth. (design feature).

EDN, March, 2003 by Zheng, Dhong

RECEIVER EQUALIZATION and transmitter pre-emphasis in a SERDES (serializer/deserializer) can increase link distances in backplane and line-card applications. Receiver equalization has many advantages, such as lower EMI and easier adaptive implementation, over transmitter pre-emphasis. However, the use of receiver-equalization technology is less common than the use of pre-emphasis techniques. Most users are comfortable implementing transmitter pre-emphasis because they can directly observe the improvement on signal integrity after the link medium, or far end. Many system designers do not implement receiver equalization because it does not produce directly observable eye-pattern results, and designers cannot directly observe the improvement and margin in their systems....