From Cable Datacomm News:
cabledatacomnews.com
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Newbridge Plans End-To-End Cable Offering
Integrated Carrier Solution Meshes ATM Core with
DOCSIS 1.1 Access Network for Voice and Data
Building on its strength in the Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Wide Area Network (WAN) equipment market, Newbridge Networks Inc. hopes to win the business of a new class of carrier customer: cable operators.
Eschewing the trend toward pure packet networks, Newbridge is pushing an ATM core for MSOs' fiber WANs. The centerpiece of the solution is the MainStreetXpress 36170 Multiservices Switch, a product that Newbridge developed in partnership with Siemens AG. More than 8,000 of the switches have already been shipped to carrier customers worldwide.
The 36170 features a 12.8-Gbps switching fabric that supports multiple carrier WAN transport services including cell relay, frame relay, circuit emulation and IP data. In total, a single 36170 can support up to 32,000 bi-directional ATM private virtual circuits (PVCs), which can be used for telephone calls or other dedicated bandwidth services.
While competitors are touting end-to-end IP-based multiservice solutions, Robert Gillan, Newbridge's assistant vice president for carrier network architecture, is skeptical they can quickly support a full menu of carrier-quality telecom applications.
Gillan argues that if cable operators are serious about quickly becoming competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), they will need to deploy CLEC-style networks to serve both business and residential customers in the near term.
Newbridge is currently developing DOCSIS 1.1-based cable modem termination system (CMTS) cards for MainStreet to transport IP data to the remote home or business. Availability is expected in the fall of 1999. |
