[GTE]
Timothy --
I just got back from Comdex tonight and haven't had time to read all the posts so forgive me in advance if I rehash what's already been said. I've read GTE's press release and saw the USAToday article earlier today while talking to a couple engineers at Alcatel's Mietec booth.
I'm a bit concerned with the GTE launch. An apartment building in Marina del Rey is not my idea of official commercial deployment. Besides expecting to see key markets listed --- Tampa, Raleigh-Durham, Houston, So. California, and perhaps Seattle and Fort Wayne --- as well as estimated numbers of lines and dates of availability, I'd hoped to learn the service was being offered to the general public, not installed in isolated buildings.
Setting my disappointment aside, I do note some interesting developments:
<<<The customer premises equipment-based (CPE), high-speed Internet access service is the first-of-its-kind deployment among major U.S.-based carriers. The service, to be marketed as ADSL OnSiteSM, initially involves up to 1,000 residential units at the Mariners Village apartment complex in Marina Del Rey, Calif., and delivers lightning-fast access to the Internet using Westell Technologies' FlexCap2 Rate Adaptive Digital Subscriber Line (RADSL) system. Internet access and equipment will be provided by GTE Internetworking, a unit of GTE Corp.
GTE Communications Corporation will commercially offer the ADSL OnSite service in numerous key markets throughout the country over the next year. . . .
"The OnSite solution delivers an extremely easy-to-install, easy-to-use way for deployment of ADSL at apartment complexes, condominiums, high-rises and college dormitories," added Bercher. . . .
In previous trials, ADSL modems had to be installed in both the central office and the customers' premises. However,the CPE-based deployment does not require equpment at the central office.
At the Mariners Village complex, 4600 Via Marina Road, all concentration equipment is installed at the telephone terminal room in the building and uses existing building cabling. As a result, the service is easy to install, and does not affect the appearance of the property, or greatly impact the infrastructure requirements.
The property's telephone equipment room, which acts as a concentrator, is outfitted with the RADSL modems, a Cisco Ethernet switch and Cisco 2500 Series routers to direct the data traffic between the Internet and subscribers. In each of the subscribers' units is an ADSL modem that operates with a companion ADSL system located in the telephone equipment room. A high-speed T-1 line (1.544Mbps) links the telephone equipment room to the Internet. >>>>
My take:
1) GTE's OnSite solution is targetted at apartment complexes, universities, and condominiums. In other words, it's not being offered to the general public.
2) OnSite does not involve Central Offices. At the moment, it's strictly aimed at niche markets.
3) OnSite is being offered through their CLEC unit, which doesn't need the same government approvals as the incumbent carrier. Does this have anything to do with being non-standard-compliant?
What does all this mean? Well, for the time being it means FlexCap is not being deployed in GTE's main C/Os and if I were a Westell shareholder, I'd want to know what GTE's plans are going forward.
The same press release reads:
<<<The company's regulated local exchange carrier, GTE Network Services, continues to provide ADSL service to customers in Texas, Washington, North Carolina and Indiana as part of its ongoing industry-leading trials. GTE Network Services plans to convert its trials into full-scale commercial deployment in the first quarter of 1998, pending regulatory approval.>>>>
As I understand it, Amati's DMT is targetted for the ILEC, and from this it appears deployment hinges on regulatory approval --- to say nothing of chip availability. This is positive. It tells me everything is on target with this side of the house.
I may have to emend my conclusions on the Westell announcement as I read through the posts and get a clearer understanding of the implications.
More later.
Hope you're enjoying Europe. Say hello whenever you can.
Cheers!
Pat
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