Broadband loop carrier creeps behind competitors with September ship date for new data and POTS blades
August 26, 2004
Occam Networks Inc. (OTC: OCCM), always eager to keep an edge on its access business, announced two new 48-port ADSL2+ blades today for its Broadband Loop Carrier (BLC) 6000 systems (see Occam Launches ADSL2+ Blades). The announcement is critical for Occam as it strives to win more triple-play customers while keeping one eye on its cash coffers.
The first new blade, the BLC 6212 is a 48-port ADSL2+ blade for delivering data and video services. The second one, the BLC 6252, is a triple-play product; it's a 48-port blade offering POTS services as well as ADSL2+ on each port.
The BLC 6212 can be deployed as part of a full BLC 6000 or as a standalone unit, when adding data and video overlay to an existing voice network. The blade can also be deployed as a remote IP DSLAM in a multi-dwelling building.
Both blades are currently in customer trials but won't begin shipping until September 2004, the company says. In the DSL equipment footrace, shipping in September likely won't get them a bronze.
Several vendors have already announced shipping products with ADSL2+ capabilities on digital loop carriers and DSLAMs alike. Since this summer, vendors touting ADSL2+ have included Adtran Inc. (Nasdaq: ADTN), Calix Networks Inc., TelStrat International, Net to Net (now Paradyne Networks Inc.), and Zhone Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: ZHNE).
Calix, in fact, says that by September, it will no longer ship ADSL ports, in favor of ADSL2+ (see Calix Ships ADSL2+).
Table 1: ADSL2+
Features of ADSL2+ | |
Rate/Reach | 20 Mbit/s downstream and 3 Mbit/s upstream at 1,000 ft.; 15 Mbit/s downstream and 3 Mbit/s upstream at 5,000 ft. |
Upstream Limitations | 3 Mbit/s |
Key Strengths | Backwards compatibility with ADSL; long reach; increased speeds through pair bonding; operator familiarity |
Key Weaknesses | Limited scaleability; may require further upgrade as bandwidth requirements increase; poor upstream performance |
Besides catching the competition, Occam must stay on the lookout for cash in the next year as well. "The company continues to operate at a loss and could require a further infusion of cash in the future," the company reveals in is latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The company's burn rate has been more than anticipated of late because the company had "to address product warranty issues," the filing says. "Management believes that it will be required to raise additional capital either in the form of debt or equity financing, before June 2005."
— Phil Harvey, News Editor, Light Reading
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