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DSL makes headway
By Scott Berinato, PC Week Online and Carmen Nobel, PC Week Online
ATLANTA -- Digital subscriber line technology will
march forward, albeit into a head wind, this week.
Despite hurdles in network infrastructure and telephony
deregulation, DSL's promise of broadband
connections over copper wires is driving Ascend
Communications Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Paradyne
Inc. and Efficient Networks Inc. to move forward with the
technology.
Ascend is debuting here at NetWorld+Interop DSLTNT,
an access platform that will run various flavors of DSL
concurrently. The Alameda, Calif., company will also
introduce the DSLPipe 2S, two-port CPE
(customer-premises equipment) for small office DSL
connections.
The DSLTNT combines the security and routing
features of the TNT remote access platform with DSL
connectivity. The 16-slot chassis will hold any
combination of RADSL (rate-adaptive DSL), IDSL
(ISDN DSL) and SDSL (symmetric DSL) cards.
Network uplinks include T-1, Primary Rate Interface,
Fast Ethernet, DS-3 and serial interface.
The TNT platform also supports VPN (virtual private
networking). DSLTNT users could offer corporations
VPN service at much lower rates than leased lines
using this technology.
Available now, DSLTNT will be priced starting at
$8,900; IDSL or SDSL support is $4,000. Modules
start at $4,995.
The $1,650 DSLPipe 2S, due this month, will extend
Ascend's CPE presence with a two-port configuration
for small offices looking for an inexpensive link to the
home office.
Cisco, of San Jose, Calif., meanwhile, finalized a deal
to use Aware Inc. ADSL technology in both its DSL
Access Multiplexors and customer-premises
equipment.
Paradyne will use the show floor to show off the
HotWire DSL 5446 RADSL, which has been upgraded
to support 7M bps downstream and 1M bps upstream.
It will ship in late October for $1,195, officials in Largo,
Fla., said.
Also shipping in late October are the SDSL CPE
HotWire 5216, which delivers 1M bps upstream and
downstream for $495, and the HotWire 5246, capable
of 2.56M bps in each direction. It will cost $795.
There are a number of obstacles to wide adoption of
DSL: A poor, and poorly managed, network
infrastructure has made it hard for providers to roll out
services, and long loop lengths and crosstalk on wires
and other hardware increase the difficulties.
Also, telephone companies fear cannibalizing
profitable T-1 and second analog line service by letting
competitors use central office space to offer DSL. A
telecommunications provider can generate anywhere
from $700 to $2,000 per month from T-1 service, while
competitive providers could offer equivalent bandwidth
for $200.
Efficient Networks will demonstrate at N+I its first
Carrierless Amplitude and Phase-based
SpeedStream 3030 ATM RADSL adapter, which can
reach speeds of 8M bps downstream and 1M bps
upstream, officials said.
Efficient will also show the SpeedStream 3010, a
25M-bps ATM card to be used with ADSL adapters, as
well as software that supports the point-to-point over
ATM protocol for DSL, according to officials in Dallas.
The $249 3010 is available now. The $495 3030 will
be available early next year.
Ascend is at www.ascend.com. Cisco can be reached
at www.cisco.com. Paradyne is at www.paradyne.com.
Efficient is at www.efficient.com. |
