1/6/98 Broadband Networking News (Pg. Unavail. Online)
1998 WL 8038586
Broadband Networking News
(c) 1998 Phillips Business Information, Inc.
Tuesday, January 6, 1998
Vol. 8, Issue: 1
ASCEND DROPS FRAME RELAY DS-0 PORT PRICE
Ascend Communications [ASND] has introduced four new modules for
its B-STDX 8000/9000 frame relay wide-area network switches. Included
is a channelized DS-3/1/0 module that offers channelization down to
DS-0. A single module can support 28 DS-1 channels, 672 DS-0
channels, or a combination of both.
"This is a quantum leap in density that takes us from 96 DS-0s
per slot, up to 672," says Bob Sullebarger, senior manager product
marketing, core systems division at Ascend. "DS-0 and DS-1 port
growth is the bread and butter of the frame relay market. Probably
more than 90 percent of the port speeds that people buy are in that
range."
The DS-3/1/0 module will be available at a price point of
approximately $100 per DS-0 port when it ships in the first quarter
1998. "That is a trend we are going to see more of in 1998. DS-0s
priced down around $100 per port is where all the vendors need to get
in order to compete," says Rick Malone, principal of Vertical Systems.
"Newbridge Networks [NN] is just slightly over that. The 36170 frame
relay card we've priced out at $105 per DS-0. The Ascend announcement
comes in just under that. You [also] have the new class of products,
such as the Sentient Networks [Ultimate access switches] that are
priced at an even more aggressive level," Malone adds.
Sullebarger confirms that the pricing of the new DS-3/1/0 module
is in response to competition from Sentient and several other startups
"This is basically a factor of three price reduction to $100 per DS-0,
asserting our intention to maintain our position in the market," he
says. (Contact: Ascend, 510/769-6001; Vertical Systems, 617/329-0900)
---- INDEX REFERENCES ----
COMPANY (TICKER): Ascend Communications Inc.; Newbridge Networks Corp.; NEWBRIDGE NETWORKS CORP. (ASND NN T.NNC)
INDUSTRY: Communications Technology; Telecommunications, All (CMT TEL)
Word Count: 276
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