Dear Sav: It would be interesting to see how ORCT silicon compares with LU's new product described below. Since it comes from LU it might be considered to have a leg up vis a vis the US RBOC's.
Lucent Technologies Introduces Integrated Voice and Data DSL
"Lite" End-to-end Chip Set that Lowers Telco Equipment Costs
Monday, April 26, 1999
Lucent Technologies' (NYSE: LU) Microelectronics Group today announced a completely integrated
voice and data telephone equipment chip set that provides end-to-end, standards-compliant,
high-speed Internet data connectivity from the telephone service provider central office to the personal
computer. The chip set offering also lowers telephone equipment costs and allows Lucent to provide
faster and easier support for its equipment manufacturer customers.
Using Lucent's chip set—the latest of Lucent's WildWire(tm) Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) “Lite”
offerings-- eight DSL “Lite” and voice services can simultaneously exist on a typical, single central
office line card. By integrating eight channels of these services on one line card, local exchange
carriers can eliminate a piece of equipment, thereby reducing costs.
“The line cards using Lucent chips will be able to deliver high-speed Internet and voice services
simultaneously to eight times more consumers than is possible with the vast majority of technology
deployed today,” said Shannon Pleasant, a senior analyst with Cahners In-Stat Group, a market
research firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Lucent is building all of the hardware and developing in-house all of the system-level software
technologies required in a telephone central office chip set offering for enabling DSL “Lite” services.
DSL “Lite” technology transmits Internet traffic at up to 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps) over regular
phone lines—approximately 25 times faster than today's fastest analog modems*. By producing all of
the software and integrating all hardware in-house, Lucent enables its customers to meet their
technology needs without having to shop anywhere else.
Lucent is also providing all of the subsystem analog and digital functional elements required to enable
a central office DSL “Lite” and voice application. The company's complete offering consists of four
semiconductor-based subsystems: a DSL “Lite” multi-channel digital signal processor (DSP) data
pump; an analog front end (AFE), which contains silicon splitter, line driver, and subscriber line
integrated circuits; programmable voice codecs; and an optional Asychronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
cell bus interface. ATM is an increasingly popular technology for efficiently routing and delivering voice
and data signals via the Internet.
“The flexibility inherent in Lucent's central office solution provides both traditional and non-traditional
service providers with a cost-effective end-to-end solution for immediate deployment,” added Pleasant.
“Lucent's focus on enabling high-density solutions based on standardized DSL “Lite” addresses what
is expected to be the highest growth opportunity for the mass market.”
Lucent, which pioneered DSL technology, is using its DSP and analog line card communications
semiconductor technologies, along with its Bell Labs, networking and system-on-a-chip expertise, to
produce this comprehensive solution.
The solution is targeted for use within various types of telephone equipment including integrated
ADSL and voice central office gear, Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers (DSLAMs), as well as
digital loop carriers. A subset of this solution can be used in data only applications as well.
This solution will be compliant with G.992.2 (G.Lite), the pending International Telecommunications
Union (ITU) standard for DSL “Lite” services expected to be ratified in June 1999. The Lucent chips
use internally developed programmable software, which makes them easily upgradeable to comply with
future enhancements of G.992.2. Lucent's central office chip set offering will be interoperable with
G.992.2-compliant modems, as well as Lucent's WildWire DSP1690 chip set used in PC equipment,
which was introduced last May.
“Lucent now has the first end-to-end G.992.2 DSL ‘Lite' and voice solution,” said Carlos Garcia,
general manager with Lucent's Microelectronics Group. “The result is a major opportunity for
consumers to access the Internet at much higher speeds using a vast array of interoperable DSL
services.”
One of the centerpieces of the new offering is Lucent's DSP16270 chip. It is the fourth DSP-based,
system-level offering Lucent has introduced this year and the first modem-based DSP Lucent has
introduced using the company's DSP16000 core.
According to Cahners In-Stat Group, ADSL “Lite” is expected to represent more than 40 percent of the
North American xDSL market in the year 2000, and ADSL “Lite” subscribers in North America will
exceed half a million by that year.
Lucent's WildWire central office solution is expected to be available in sample quantities this quarter
and in production quantities in this year's fourth quarter.
The chip set solution, which is employing state-of-the-art .25 micron process technology, is priced at
$65 per line in quantities of 10,000.
For more product information, customers may call the Microelectronics Group Customer Response
Center, 1-800-372-2447, Dept. N02 (in Canada, 1-800-553-2448, Dept. N02; fax number
1-610-712-4106 (especially for callers outside of North America) or write to Lucent Technologies, Room
30L-15L-BA, 555 Union Boulevard, Allentown, Pa. 18103.
Lucent's Microelectronics Group designs and manufactures integrated circuits and optoelectronic
components for the computer and communications industries. More information about Lucent's DSL
WildWire technology can be found at lucent.com.
Lucent Technologies designs, builds and delivers a wide range of public and private networks,
communications systems and software, data networking systems, business telephone systems and
microelectronic components. Bell Labs is the research and development arm for the company. For
more information on Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., visit its web site at
lucent.com.
*DSL “Lite” services transmit Internet data at up to 1.5 Mbps without requiring a voice/data splitter
deployed at peoples' homes.
JFD |
