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Technology Stocks : LAST MILE TECHNOLOGIES - Let's Discuss Them Here -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MikeM54321 who wrote (1660)	7/24/1998 11:59:00 AM
From: Ray Jensen	Respond to of 12823

Mike, <<are you saying the HFC network has some special obstacles that make it more difficult to interface, than say any old (if there is such a thing) fiber network?>>. No, but any Host Digital Terminal used by an HFC network to provide circuit switched telephone services needs to be connected to a plain old, traditional class 5 digital telephone switch (like a Lucent 5E or Nortel DMS100). As I said earlier, the HDT is a RF adaptation of a telco digital loop carrier system. Traditional telco vendors with lots of digital loop carrier system history, like LU, NT, Tellabs, and DSC know switch interfaces real well. When I speak of switch interfaces, it refers to the communications and traffic management protocol between the switch and the HDT or digital loop carrier system. Along comes SA, GI, Phillips, ADC, or someone else who does not have a lot of history with telco digital loop carrier switch interfaces (for example Bellcore GR-303 for integrated digital loop carrier systems). Naturally, it will be a bigger struggle for them to develop the necessary compatibility between their Host Digital Loop carrier system and the existing telco class 5 switch, if they have never developed such a product before. My earlier point was that NT has an advantage over others because they are one of the biggie vendors of both class 5 switches and digital loop carrier systems. <<I thought all data networkers had products that could be dropped into an HFC network relatively easy. But I was totally guessing at that.>> The main role data networkers (like Cisco, 3Com, Fore, etc) have with HFC systems today relates to cable modem services. I don't know where else you would use their products to deliver circuit switched voice or broadcast analog and digital video services. When VoIP on cable comes along, that will change. I don't think anyone has products that could be dropped into any network that easily. The harsh reality is that deployment of any new technology into any new access network does not come easy. As DT hinted earlier, it takes many iterations of both hardware and software to work the bugs out, even if it seems like a mature product. And it always seems to take about two or three times longer than the project managers have calculated in their computerized plans. Ray.