bill c. <->__<-> All
>> Can anyone tell me if this is true.... WSTL to have 6Mbps down 640Kbps up sounds... like DMT not CAP? Also does this mean that SBC will only use Alcatel for roll-out or can WSTL still provide some modems?<<
bill -
One of the press releases I have read, stated that this did not preclude the Gang of Four from purchasing from another OEM in the future.
To my knowledge there is not a CAP modem running 6mb/640kb, yet!
Tele.com Lab tests were excellent. There is a wealth of current info
at there. And I like their style .
"We'll soon be doing a second
DSL test with a lot more products. And over the next few
months, you'll be seeing other tests of the emerging
technologies that are radically changing the public network.
Our lab test program is tailored to the realities of the public
network market. Our DSL tests and our upcoming cable
modem tests are intended to be "proof of concept" tests.
We're not trying to do PC magazine drag races here. Instead,
we're out to answer what for service providers are some
megamillion-dollar questions: Do these technologies work as
advertised? Can they deliver the goods under real-world
conditions? Can service providers trust these products enough
to make major infrastructure investments in them?
As these products mature, we'll spend even more time with
them and rate them against one another, feature for feature.
But for now, we're focused on finding out the kinds of things
that service providers create major technology trials to
investigate. Things like how DSL modems cope with
real-world Internet traffic, and how they perform (or don't
perform) over local loops that extend beyond the 12,000-foot
mark. Up to now, the only way to get this information was to
run a service trial. This is the first time the entire public
network industry can see how these products work.
Of course, you can't be a test pilot without a test plane.
Special credit should go to the three DSL modem makers that
put their products on the line. It takes confidence for product
designers and engineers to let independent parties stress-test
their products, knowing they'll have to live with the results.
Public network testing requires much more interaction with
vendors because of the unique demands on the products. Our
policy is to work closely with leading vendors, experts, and
service provider engineers on our methodologies. We
encourage vendor engineers to be present at testing. Then we
advise vendors of their specific results before we go to press
to get vendor response in the article for consideration by
readers. That's more than just good testing--that's sound
journalism. "
I like that ! At least we know the best, and we put all the others to the test. Will this be a horse race? No, Pat called it right the other day " Gentelmen Start You Engines" ..
Special Thanks to all those involved "For this proof-of-concept lab test, tele.com teamed up with
National Software Laboratories Inc. (NSTL, Conshohocken,
Pa.) and TeleChoice Inc. (Verona, N.J.). NSTL, an
independent test lab owned by the McGraw-Hill Companies
Inc., handled all product testing. TeleChoice, a
telecommunications consultancy, helped develop the test
methodology and evaluated the final test results (see "Test Methodology"). "
Does the following mean $18 Billion Bill will have an Overture 8?
Well he does not have one yet, soooo, Phase 2.
JW@KSC
Ramping Up in Redmond
Bill Gates might have ADSL in the near future. That's because
GTE Telephone Operations (Irving, Texas) has teamed up
with Microsoft Corp. (Redmond, Wash.) to conduct a
six-month ADSL trial in Microsoft's hometown. Although
Gates isn't participating in the first phase of the trial, which
gives 40 Microsoft and GTE employees high-speed access to
the Internet and private data networks, officials say he may
participate in the second phase, scheduled to begin at the end
of this month.
Bill's in good hands. After all, GTE conducted the industry's
first data ADSL trial earlier this year in Irving, Texas, where it
proved that ADSL could be delivered over existing copper
networks. In the Redmond trial, the telco is looking at the
operational procedures needed to deploy DSL services
successfully, the costs of delivering DSL, and customer
perceptions of the technology, says Flynn Nogueira, manager
of the ADSL program office at GTE.
In the first phase of the trial, GTE is using FlexCap modems
from Westell Technologies Inc. (Oswego, Ill.), which deliver
1.5 Mbit/s downstream and 640 kbit/s upstream to
residences. In the second phase, which will also include
businesses in the Redmond area and employees from the
University of Washington, GTE will add Overture 8 modems
from Amati Communications Corp. (Mountain View, Calif.).
The Amati boxes offer up to 6 Mbit/s downstream and 640
kbit/s upstream.
GTE and Microsoft are looking at specific applications like
e-mail, Internet access, and remote LAN access, delving into
issues like provisioning, network management, security, and
traffic patterns. GTE has set up a response center in Redmond
to monitor the network; the center is staffed by GTE and
Microsoft workers. GTE also hopes to find out if homes need
to be rewired or if existing wiring at the customer premises can
be used.
How does Microsoft play into this picture? GTE is evaluating
whether Microsoft's platform technology, including Windows
NT and Windows 95, can be used to provision service
offerings like high-speed Internet access or remote LAN
access, says Craig Mundie, senior vice president at Microsoft.
The software giant also is helping GTE tackle the issue of
secure access by assisting in the provisioning of point-to-point
tunneling protocol (PPTP), a networking technology that
supports multiprotocol virtual private networks (VPNs). PPTP
could enable remote users to access corporate networks
securely across the Internet. Microsoft also is providing
caching proxy servers at the central office for Internet access.
These caching servers reduce Web traffic by downloading the
most popular Web sites to reduce Internet backbone traffic.
The two companies also are using the Redmond trial to
field-test the synergy of their technical staffs. "We are very
concerned with systems integration," says Mundie. "GTE
needs to be sure that it knows how to install and operate this
stuff, and we have to make sure that our products are well
suited to be integrated into that telephone company
operational environment." |
