Jay, please clarify the following:
>>The DSL sub-nets are impoverished insofar as a specific, practical approach to load-leveling ... there are initiatives (concepts) but they aren't going to stop PacBell from melting their NAPs in '99-'00. <<
It seems to be contradictory to your argument favoring cable modems. It implies that the NAP would be overwhelmed by DSL carriers. In order for the NAP to be overwhelmed, or melted down, it would require that there be very little blocking in the DSL loop, which translates to high throughput. Is that what you are saying? Unless you mean that the absence of traffic due to low throughput in the DSL plant would cause congestion, possibly. But that doesn't make sense to me either. Explain, if you would.
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We've not been covering all the bases here, IMO. In order for the NAP and peering nodes to be properly fed by serving ISPs, much less overwhelmed, their edge networks would first need to be bolstered. This is something that I've seen very little of discussed in these posts. And these upstream router ports and links between ISPs tiers and to the NAPs are not cheap. In some cases (depending on what's in place now) it will mean taking the next step up in router sizing, alogether.
In the case of ATHM, their planned backbone upgrade by T should handle a good part of this. Does anyone recall what that price tag is going to be for this?
In the case of the DSL ISPs, they will need to do something in kind [which is NOT the responsibility of the ILEC to finance, rather it falls on the individual ISPs to acquire new capacity from whomever]. The reason for this is that their current edge platforms will not support additional 50-fold levels of throughput.
Some of them cannot even support current levels, especially during peak periods, despite their using only a 28.8 framework.
Regardless of whose solutions are used, therefore, whether they be DSL or CM, the ISPs are going to have to bolster their router port sizing, and their transmission capacity to peering entities and to the NAPs.
The impact of these requirements on small ISPs can be pivotal to their future. Many of them are cash-strapped, and they will be even harder pressed if they do upgrade, and doomed if they don't.
Regards, Frank C. |
