Hi Bill, thanks for the info. I appreciate your efforts to spread news and not hype. :o) I thought I would post the whole article so people can see that Ascend is going to be using Globespan's CAP. Here is a link to the 6Mbps downstream and 640kbps upstream CAP talked about in this article. globespan.net This does not look good for Amati in the least. Ascend is another big company that Amati can't compete with in ADSL, besides Alcatel and Ericsson. Hype will not get Amati contracts so why do people here insist on hyping Amati? It is unethical in my opinion.
From Communications Week
November 4, 1996
Issue: 636
Section: Top of the News
"Ascend Readies 'Net, LAN Tools"
By Saroja Girishankar
Ascend Communications Inc., making good on an earlier promise, is developing multi-megabit connectivity products for Internet and remote LAN access, with introduction slated for early 1997.
Ascend's product initiative comprises Asymmetrical and High bit rate Digital Subscriber line (ADSL, HDSL) routers for branch and home offices in addition to ADSL and HDSL enhancements for its existing MAX TNT carrier-class WAN access switch, according to Bernie Schneider, Ascend's vice president of strategic business development. Ascend said in August, when it introduced the MAX TNT, that it would be adding xDSL technology to the platform, though it promised to do so before the end of the year.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology uses new line-coding schemes to provide up to 6-megabit-per-second pipes for voice, data, video and image transmission. Whereas HDSL provides a maximum of 768 kilobits per second of duplex transmission, ADSL handles up to 6- Mbps transmission downstream and 640 Kbps upstream, making it suitable for Internet and remote LAN access.
Users noted the appeal of DSL technology for giving smaller sites access to high bandwidth. "In general, people will want to use ADSL for small branch offices and telecommuting from home offices," said Bruce Almich, telecommunications manager at the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington.
Ascend's Schneider said, "ISPs [Internet service providers] and Bells have asked us to provide xDSL [especially HDSL] as a high-speed option to frame relay, ISDN and analog modems, while ADSL requests are being driven by users," Schneider said.
First-Quarter Availability
Ascend's products will be generally available in the first quarter next year. The price tag for the xDSL routers will be comparable to the company's existing ISDN routers, which start at $595, Schneider said. Pricing for MAX TNT's DSL upgrades has not been set.
The Ascend DSL products for corporate users include branch-office and home-office routers with ADSL engines.
Schneider said Ascend, Alameda, Calif., is using Pairgain Technologies Inc.'s HDSL technology and ADSL chipsets from both Globespan Inc. and two other unspecified vendors.
The DSL capabilities for the MAX TNT include ADSL and HDSL cards that fit into the switch and are capable of handling up to 4,000 terminations.
The MAX TNT can be configured to handle up to 4,000 ISDN connections, 2,000 analog modems or 900 dedicated T1 connections. With the upgrades, it will be able to support DSL links in the same box.
Besides providing DSL links, Schneider said Ascend is adding software improvements for network management involving SNMP, billing and security tools.
Ascend is conducting both internal and external trials for its DSL offerings, the company said.
Ascend's entrance into the DSL market should speed up rollouts of DSL services, said Kieran Taylor, broadband consultant with TeleChoice Inc., a Verona, N.J., consulting company.
Copyright * 1996 CMP Media Inc. |
