Frank, some more thoughts about CLEC collocation of DSL hardware in ILEC COs. I assume that Supra has done good homework on the BellSouth wire centers where they wish to offer DSL services via leased "dry copper" pairs. If I was going to launch such a new venture, I would want a large proportion of existing ILEC customers in those wire centers to be served directly from the CO by non-loaded copper pairs, i.e., not by derived copper pairs from digital loop carrier systems. However, that's contrary to BellSouth's assumed status, i.e., with one of the highest percentage of customers served by digital loop carrier facilities in the US.
Today's conclusion is: DLC systems become bottlenecks to DSL services provided by CLECs over dry copper pairs in the local loop that are leased from ILECs. (sorry, too many acronyms here.)
If a CLEC chooses carefully which wire centers to offer DSL via the Supra model, there are several higher density metro areas where non-loaded, non-DLC, copper loops under 15,000' are still the rule. In San Francisco and NYC, 90% or so of residential loops might fit the bill (there's usually no place to put a DLC system cabinet in those places!!). As you move to the suburbs, the percent of loops fed by digital loop carrier increases, making it tougher to sell the CLEC DSL service using a mass market approach. As I said before, this could be a thesis topic.
Ray. |
