[Help from those at InterOpt]
Pat, Jim, Pigboy, ...
Could any of you folks give an impression of NetSpeed. The following looks quite interesting. I am wondering how much attention they are
getting. Thanks
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 1997--NetSpeed Tuesday
announced that it will display its LoopRunner(TM) Advanced Digital
Subscriber Loop Multiplexer System (ADSLAM(TM)) at the
NetWorld+Interop trade show in Las Vegas.
The LoopRunner ADSLAM is the most advanced DSL multiplexer
system on the market today and features a unique ATM-based
multiplexing/switching core that is unrivaled in the DSL world.
In addition, NetSpeed is also announcing that it has received a
formal notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent Office of the
pending U.S. Digital Off-Hook(TM) patent application entitled
"Communication Server Apparatus and Method."
The patent application will issue as a formal U.S. patent
within the next several months. The patent is one of NetSpeed's
key innovations and will contain multiple claims which provide
far-reaching, broad coverage on NetSpeed's Digital Off-Hook xDSL
modem pooling technology.
According to John McHale, chief executive officer of NetSpeed,
"Digital Off-Hook gives NetSpeed an unprecedented advantage in
providing xDSL transport systems to telco service providers. We
look forward to sharing this breakthrough technology with the
industry."
Dramatically Lower in Cost
The LoopRunner's unique Digital Off-Hook xDSL modem pooling
technology can dramatically reduce the capital investment required
for telco service providers to deploy pervasive and economical
residential broadband ADSL service.
Utilizing the concentration capabilities of the LoopRunner
ADSLAM, the telco service provider can reduce the central office per
subscriber price to under $200 in 1997. The three year forward
price is even more aggressive with per subscriber prices under
$150. The LoopRunner ADSLAM system will be available for telco
service deployment in June of this year.
"NetSpeed's innovative Digital Off-Hook technology enables
oversubscription of xDSL modems and consequently lowers the telco's
cost per subscriber. These dramatic cost reductions should
accelerate the deployment of high-speed residential internet access
-- the most cost sensitive market," said Kieran Taylor, broadband
consultant for Telechoice.
The LoopRunner ADSLAM's Digital Off-Hook technology allows a
large number of subscribers to share a small pool of xDSL modems by
automatically connecting/disconnecting/reconnecting a subscriber
line to a pool of modems based on each line's active need to
transport data.
Specifically, Digital Off-Hook technology detects a request to
transport data from either the client's terminal or the Central
Office multiplexer. Once the request is detected, Digital Off-Hook
is used to switch an xDSL modem onto the connection.
When the line is inactive, Digital Off-Hook automatically
disconnects the client's terminal from the xDSL modem. When activity
is once again detected, a modem connection is reestablished
transparent to the user.
Tariff Flexibility
Using the access flexibility provided by Digital Off-Hook,
service providers can offer a wide array of service classes.
Dedicated service (one modem to one connection) may be offered to
high usage customers, such as large businesses, where a dedicated
and continuous xDSL connection is required.
This premium service may be tariffed accordingly, while a shared
service may be offered to residential users and light-use business
customers at significantly reduced prices. Concentration ratios may
be configured from 1:1 dedicated to 6:1 oversubscription, and can be
changed dynamically in the field to accommodate varying usage
patterns.
Reduction in Multiplexer Costs
By oversubscribing subscriber lines to modems, service providers
can provide cost-effective, flexible service choices to customers
while simultaneously significantly reducing LoopRunner multiplexer
investment costs.
Line Concentration
LoopRunner concentrates and switches lines based on activity.
From the user's point of view, the Central Office modem appears to
be continuously available. Digital Off-Hook allows the service
provider to purchase, install and maintain anywhere from one half
to one sixth modems to subscribers.
By concentrating and switching lines, LoopRunner produces
higher density capabilities and less space, power and cooling
requirements for deployed networks, a feature especially important
when subscribers must be serviced from remote cabinets or controlled
environment vaults.
Modem Redundancy
The switching function inherent to Digital Off-Hook technology
supports modem redundancy for all subscribers. In a typical DSLAM
implementation, each subscriber line is physically connected to a
specific modem in the system. In LoopRunner implementations, each
subscriber line has a dynamically switched connection to an
available modem.
Therefore, LoopRunner can automatically detect any modem
determined to be faulty, remove it from the pool and then
automatically switch service to another available modem before
affecting subscriber service.
This inherent redundancy results in a higher subscriber quality
of service than available from physically 1:1 provisioned DSLAMs, as
well as minimal resource maintenance and sparing for the network
provider.
ATM Subtending
Another important feature of LoopRunner is the ability to subtend
additional remote or local LoopRunner multiplexers into a host
multiplexer. Subtending increases the subscriber to network
interface ratio, thereby reducing the cost of the network interface
on a per subscriber basis.
This cost benefit is realized not only on the LoopRunner network
interface itself, but also on its far end connection -- the service
provider's ATM network switch port.
Up to four remote LoopRunners may be DS3 subtended, and up to
12 LoopRunners may be DS1 subtended for a maximum of
4,992 subscribers subtended for a single OC3 network interface.
Subtending can be provisioned with or without redundant links.
Outside Plant Support
LoopRunner's high subscriber density, small real estate
attributes and environmental tolerances enable it to be practically
and economically deployed in outside plant enclosures. This enables
service providers to distribute lower density xDSL service points in
suburban or rural areas where copper based services are terminated
to long reach fiber carrier facilities.
VDSL Ready
As Internet and Intranet applications require even greater
bandwidth, Very high bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) service
terminations will become prevalent. LoopRunner's switch fabric and
bus architecture design allow service providers to gracefully
migrate into the 52 Mbps service world with the incremental addition
of VDSL subscriber line terminations.
The LoopRunner ADSLAM is the heart of the telco provider ADSL
solution. Installed at the telco central office or
environmentally-hardened remote terminal, the LoopRunner ADSLAM
utilizes a sophisticated ATM switch architecture to multiplex
incoming ADSL subscriber streams onto an ATM OC3c, DS3, or quad DS1
network connection.
CAP and DMT Support
The LoopRunner access multiplexer supports RADSL modems
based on GlobeSpan's Carrierless AM/PM (CAP) and ANSI TI.413
Discrete Multitone (DMT) modulation methods. Each modulation
technology implementation supports rate adaptive operation and
Digital Off-Hook concentration.
NetSpeed is currently in partnerships with the leading providers
of ADSL transceiver technology; GlobeSpan Technologies Inc. and
Motorola Inc. GlobeSpan Technologies, located in Red Bank, N.J., is
the dominant supplier of CAP (Carrierless Amplitude and Phase)
modulation chipsets.
Motorola Semiconductor's Wireline IC Division is located in
Austin, Texas, and is a leading supplier of ANSI DMT (Discrete
Multitone) ADSL transceiver technology. NetSpeed firmly believes
that partnering with the preeminent suppliers of ADSL transceivers
ensures that customers receive the most reliable and advanced
technology available.
NetSpeed Broadband ATM Service Architecture
The LoopRunner ADSLAM system is the central piece of NetSpeed's
unique Broadband ATM Service Architecture. NetSpeed's architecture
provides secure point to point connections over the ATM network from
remote users or LANs to the corporate or ISP home network.
The LoopRunner serves as the transport switch between endpoints
much like today's existing voice switches. Because the data is
initiated and terminated at the endpoints, telco service providers
do not have to terminate IP traffic at the central office -- thus
preventing the need to assign and manage IP addresses.
NetSpeed provides all the components of this broadband
architecture from the customer premise to the central office to the
ISP or corporate facility.
Utilizing industry standard protocols for remote access, ISP or
corporate sites can support ADSL and SDSL services with NetSpeed's
FireRunner Broadband Remote Access Server as the gateway into the
LAN. PPP access by remote users insures adherence to industry
standard PAP and CHAP authentication over a secure link.
Interfaces to RADIUS servers provide standard security and
accounting services. PPP also provides the ability to transport IP
or IPX traffic between the corporate and remote sites.
NetSpeed and Lucent Microelectronics
NetSpeed has chosen Lucent Microelectronics' ATLANTA ATM chip set
from the Microelectronics Group of Lucent Technologies to provide the
switching architecture for the LoopRunner ATM subsystem.
The ATLANTA switch chip set, developed by Bell Laboratories,
addresses the challenge to produce a cost-effective,
high-performance, non-blocking switch architecture that can scale
over a wide range of switch fabric capacities. The LoopRunner ADSLAM
system can support up to 3.3 Gbps of non-blocked ADSL traffic and
features integrated features for traffic, congestion and switch
management.
According to Aloke Gupta, Lucent Technologies' strategic
marketing manager for Data Networking Integrated Circuits, "The
combination of NetSpeed's LoopRunner system architecture and the
power and flexibility of the Lucent ATLANTA ATM switch chip set will
create the most powerful broadband access multiplexer available on
the market today."
The LoopRunner ATM architecture supports early packet discard,
four priority levels per port queue and cell rate policing with AAL5
packet policing support allows for gracefully dealing with traffic
congestion. Multicast support allows broadcasting of downstream
information to multiple subscribers, facilitating features such as
video distribution.
Furthermore, the ATLANTA chipset queuing architecture allows
cells to be queued in one place, and the mechanism for controlling
cell flow between the switch and the modems is tightly coupled to the
cell arbitration mechanism within the cell buffer. This means that
cells stay in the centralized buffer until the modem ports are ready
for them, resulting in minimum latency and improved class-of-service
differentiation.
Lucent Technologies designs, builds and delivers a wide range of
public and private networks, communications systems and software,
consumer and business telephone systems and microelectronics
components. Bell Laboratories is the research and development arm
for the company.
Lucent Technologies' Microelectronics Group designs and
manufactures integrated circuits, optoelectronic components and power
systems for the computer and communications industries. Visit Lucent
Technologies' Microelectronics Group Web site at
lucent.com .
NetSpeed is a leader in end-to-end broadband access product
solutions for service providers, corporations and consumers.
NetSpeed's Digital Off-Hook(TM) technology and products are designed
to provide bandwidth on demand, allow deployment of pervasive
low-cost xDSL services and enable high-speed Internet and Intranet
access, videoconferencing, telecommuting and video on demand.
For further information, visit NetSpeed's World Wide Web site at
netspeed.com or call 800/550-ADSL or 512/249-8055. |
