Announcements underscore carrier demand for triple-play services over fiber

May 25, 2007

4 Min Read
FTTx Vendors Push Triple Play

Tellabs Inc. (Nasdaq: TLAB; Frankfurt: BTLA) and Occam Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: OCNW) were among vendors this week making announcements that underscore the continued focus by carriers and vendors on fiber access networks.

Tellabs introduced a small-form-factor multiservice access platform (MSAP) for fiber-to-the-node (FTTN), fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC), and fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband and narrowband services. (See Tellabs Intros Platform.)

The new Tellabs 1134 is designed to give carriers an easy upgrade path to fiber services, with support for VDSL and Gigabit passive optical networking (GPON) functionality in seven inches of rack space. The company is pushing the product as an access device optimized to deliver voice, high-speed Internet, and video services, including IPTV and video on demand (VOD).

The 1134 is being touted for its density and its low power requirements, which makes it ideal for smaller deployments. As a result, the 1134 is being targeted at service providers that would like to deploy cabinet applications, small central office applications, or upgrade from its 1000 access platform without moving directly to its 1150 platform.

Occam, meanwhile, introduced its first 10-Gigabit Ethernet access aggregation blade, which it is targeting at Tier 2 and Tier 3 carriers and business-oriented CLECs. (See Occam Intros Blade.)

Occam's broadband loop carrier (BLC) 6450 is aimed at providing IPTV distribution; multiservice functionality, including VOIP, POTS, and high-speed Internet; and mobile backhaul. The 6450 is also being pitched at businesses for active fiber Ethernet, transparent LAN services, and E-Line or E-LAN services.

Forrester Research Inc. analyst Ellen Carney says she was impressed by the business message Occam sent with the launch of the BLC 6450.

"What I found interesting is how they targeted business customers that a rural carrier might have," she says. "Here's a strategic advantage that Occam can bring to smaller, business-minded carriers that have to compete against the local cable companies."

The BLC 6450 is designed to deliver redundancy and resiliency for Ethernet, including 50ms Ethernet switch failover to mimic what's found in Sonet rings. The blade measures 1 rack unit and can be deployed standalone or alongside other Occam BLC 6000 blades in the BLC 6012 chassis. Occam says commercial deployments will begin in June.

FTTx Everywhere
This week also saw vendors like Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO), UTStarcom Inc. (Nasdaq: UTSI), Embarq Corp. (NYSE: EQ), and Wave7 Optics Inc. announce contract wins and deployments of FTTx gear.

Cisco reported its products were used in a video services network launched by Bredbaand Nord, which selected a headend from Cisco's Scientific Atlanta and a Cisco Ethernet fiber-to-the-home (E-FTTH) network. (See Cisco Wins in Denmark.)

Cisco says the video service will provide end users with 46 channels of analog content delivered through an IP link connected to the headend. Bredbaand Nord will offer 100-Mbit/s broadband services and has agreed to deploy Cisco switches and routers throughout the network, as well as Linksys routers at the customer premises.

Cisco FTTx solution manager Gloria Formenti says the Bredbaand deployment was the first time the company brought together elements from Scientific Atlanta and Linksys to create an end-to-end triple-play solution. She stressed that while this deployment and other Cisco FTTx deployments with Danish utilities MvB and Tre-For were greenfield operations, they could be easily replicated by Tier 2 and Tier 3 operators. (See HP's OSS Deployed in Denmark and Utility Broadband the TRE-FOR Way.)

Embarq and Wave7, meanwhile, won a contract with Long Lines to deploy a FTTP network in Sioux City, Iowa. The network will be used for a combination of services, including voice, data, and RF video. (See Long Lines Deploys Wave 7.)

Wave7 chief marketing officer Emmanuel Villa says the deployment sits in his company's prime targets of IOC and muni deployments. Speaking of the partnership, Villa said he expects to work with Embarq more often, as more IOCs deploy FTTx networks. "It's a very exciting space," Villa says. "IOCs are sold on fiber to the premises."

Separately, UTStarcom's Gigabit Ethernet PON (GEPON) platform was chosen by United Telecom to deliver e-Governance and triple-play services in Goa, India. (See UTStarcom Deploys in India.)

The FTTx platform will serve as the foundation for Goa's new Statewide Area Network (SWAN), and as such will provide up to 1 Gbit/s of fiber connectivity across all state government offices. United Telecom expects to extend the network to nearby subdistricts and villages to provide services including IPTV, telemedicine, distance learning, and e-commerce.

— Ryan Lawler, Reporter, Light Reading

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