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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 (2306)	11/10/1998 11:00:00 PM
From: Hiram Walker	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12823

Mike, I thought you people might find this interesting. The second technology enabler involves the ability to code intelligence directly onto an optical carrier. Templex (www.templex.com) is a small company in Eugene, Ore. that is working with several patents involving a process it calls TASM (temporally-accessed spectral multiplexing). The TASM technology utilizes a form of optical code division multiple access (O-CDMA). This area of optical research is starting to gain attention from a variety of interests, particularly telecommunications transport entities. Templex can code optical signals through a passive grating and recover the information through a reciprocal process. The implications are staggering in a number of not-so-obvious ways. First, the ability to operate several phase-shifted optical carriers within a single wavelength will significantly advance the first enabler (lower cost optical bandwidth). Secondly, the gratings can be developed to compensate for dispersion, with the potential for optical pulse "reshaping" and an all-optical signal regeneration capability. The third implication is the important one for this discussion. The ability to optically encode intelligence will provide a key bridge to the future global IP network by facilitating many of the control and routing attributes in the optical domain. This will wreak havoc with the traditional OSI network layer model, as the physical transport layer functionality becomes inseparable from the higher network layers. This separate, layered functionality currently takes place in the electrical domain and essentially defines the need for Sonet and, to some extent, ATM in the public network. Companies like Qwest could adapt overnight to an all-optical IP architecture. In fact they have already crossed the line with their bandwidth-centric vs. switch-centric view of the architecture. Templex, or a similar company, will achieve success only if it can produce cost-effective alternatives to the current network models. But this is a huge target, including multimillion-dollar circuit switches, ubiquitous digital cross-connect platforms, TDM platforms, signal regeneration platforms, routers, bridges and more. Hiram

To: MikeM54321 who wrote (2306)	11/11/1998 11:35:00 AM
From: lml	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 12823

Mike: Thanks for the response. One rationale I was given for the delay was the purchase of new switches from Scientific Atlanta. It seems that Century is more focused on getting their digital switches in place in light of the advent of HDTV broadcasting. It seems the digital broadcast era will put cablecos with older infrastructure (no digital capacity) at a competitive disadvantage to the wireless providers (ie. DirecTV) who are already broadcasting a digital signal. So its seems natural for smaller,less capitalized cablecos like Century to respond to the more imminent threat to its customer base. I guess I disagree with you on the telco solution -- the xDSL v. ISDN cannibalization issue. Granted it exists, I think the telcos realize the larger market ADSL offers because of the direct access (no dial-up) that consumers are looking for when they are seeking a large bandwidth connectivity solution to the Internet. I think the PR on ADSL is demonstrative of this view by the telcos. ADSL is the road the telcos have chosen. The reason I won't get it -- at least in the foreseeable future -- is the fact that I so @#$%&* far out from the CO, that the technology is just not available to deliver ADSL to my home. Other than cable, the alternative solutions to greater bandwidth are the wireless solution as we are now seeing, or convincing my LEC (PacBell) to install a DLC up here to deliver T-1 access at a competitive price. Under any scenario, I am just stuck with my ISDN for now. If there is any consolation to be found, it would be for Calif PUC to compel the telco to drop the ISDN rates so they aren't so expensive. From a economic standpoint, it don't make sense to pay more for less (bandwidth). Later guys. This ISDN session is costing to much. LML