I don't see what all the hoopla is about.
Backbone: They are doing Dense Wave Divisiom Multiplexing on their fiber, nothing new.
>>Its reach will be extended through metropolitan broadband networks (BMAN) available in 36 major markets nationwide in 1998 and in a total of 60 major markets in 1999. These BMAN networks will allow Sprint ION to pass within proximity of 70 percent of large businesses without having to utilize Digital Subscriber Line (DSL). For smaller business locations, telecommuters, small/home office users and consumers who may not have access to BMANs, ION supports a myriad of the emerging broadband access services, such as DSL.
They have their own SONET rings in a bunch of metro areas. Guess what - so do a lot of other carriers. All that does is allow them to bypass the telco CO. Unfortunately, you can't get data to and from their loop via osmosis - you still need some kind of local loop installed, be it copper or fiber (or wireless). So, for those metropolitan businesses that currently purchase T-1s or T-3s or DS-3s from the local telco or another carrier that has their own metro trunk (AT&T, Sprint, LCI, et al), the field just become more competitive, if it is cost effective to install a new loop to the Sprint trunk.
For everyone else (small business, residential), they still need to use existing local loop infrastructure to connect to the backbones, be it Sprint's or someone elses. Anything else won't be cost effective.
ADSL will be the way to do that. |
