Convergence is becoming a reality in the heart of service provider networks, but in the access network it's more a case of divergence, as service providers seek to offer broadband services over an increasing variety of access technologies, so that customers can get connected wherever they are.

That raises a number of challenges for carriers, which are beginning to rethink their network infrastructures to address the heightened bandwidth requirements of services like IPTV and HDTV. Not only do they need to ramp up bandwidth to run these services, but they need to control the quality of user experience. At the same time, they need to devise strategies for supporting legacy, circuit-based services over new packet-based access infrastructure. And all this needs to happen in a way that permits the technology to be deployed and changed easily, cheaply, and rapidly.

The telecom operators and their suppliers are addressing these challenges by developing new technologies such IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), carrier-class Ethernet, and pseudowire encapsulation. They're also working together in associations such as the Broadband Forum to establish new standards and architectures. And all of this is resulting in a plethora of new products hitting the market -- a market that represents a huge opportunity for vendors. It's sometimes said that for every dollar carriers spend in the core of their networks they spend $10 on metro equipment and $100 on access networking.

This report aims to help everybody keep track of these product developments. It proposes a way of carving up the access infrastructure equipment market and then lists suppliers in each product category.

Here is a complete list of vendors and equipment categories featured in the report:Table 1: Access Equipment Vendors

As with previous "Who Makes What" reports published by Light Reading, it invites you, the reader, to send in suggestions for improving things -- by adding or modifying product categories and by refining the lists of suppliers, adding ones we've missed by mistake, or pointing to ones that shouldn't be there because the company has been acquired or has gone bust, for instance.

You can post your suggestions on the message board attached to this report -- the preferred method because it stimulates debate. Or you may email suggestions to [email protected]. Please include "Access Who Makes What" in the subject field so we can find it easily.

This report covers the main access technologies that are used to provide broadband services, then goes on to define the various types of equipment -- where they sit in the network and which vendors sell them. It focuses on basic transport infrastructure. A separate Who Makes What report will cover higher-level equipment such as broadband remote access servers, broadband policy traffic managers, session border controllers, and so on.

Here's a hyperlinked summary:

Previous What Makes What reports related to this area:

- Nicole Willing, Reporter, Light Reading

Copper (DSL)

The key thing about DSL is that it can be used to boost bandwidths on a large proportion of the billions of copper local loop connections that already exist in telephone networks around the world. As such, it holds the key to incumbent carrier hopes of generating an increasing proportion of their revenues from video-based services.

DSL services are moving away from providing basic broadband Internet access to multiple high-bandwidth applications with quality of service (QOS) demands, as service providers attempt to find new revenue streams. Subscriber numbers are on the increase worldwide – up by 42 percent last year. (See DSL Growth Continues.)

To achieve the higher data rates they need, operators are coming up with plans to build out their networks with newer generations of DSL, including ADSL2 and VDSL. Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT), for example, is deploying VDSL2 equipment from ECI Telecom Ltd. , which will provide bandwidths of up to 50 Mbit/s downstream and 10 Mbit/s upstream. (See Alcatel, ECI Land DT Gig and ECI Deployed for VDSL2.)

Recent related news:

Coax (cable/MSO)

Cable/multiservice operators are in the midst of a protracted battle with telcos for customers – a battle that has ramped up with the crossover into voice via VOIP services and the telcos’ move into video. The number of cable broadband subscribers worldwide rose 14 percent last year despite the growth of DSL, and operators share the need for higher data rates to support triple-play. Vendors are adding enhanced capabilities and bandwidth to their platforms, and the CMTS market continues to grow at a steady clip. (See CMTS Market Up 10% in '05.) Like the telcos, cable operators are taking a hard look at fiber as an alternative access technology as demand for bandwidth increases.

Recent related news:

Fiber and PON

Fiber-to-the-whatever (FTTx) aims to displace DSL and cable as the fixed-line technology of choice for carriers with ever-growing bandwidth requirements. The “x” denotes how far the fiber is installed in the access network – as remote as the curb (FTTC) or node (FTTN) or all the way into the subscriber’s home (FTTH).

A number of service providers are beginning the migration to fiber in incremental ways. As noted above, Deutsche Telekom has started deploying remote VDSL equipment, but the network will also use fiber access equipment for FTTC. (See DT Flings Billions at Fiber Access.)

PON (passive optical networking) is a point-to-multipoint architecture that uses passive splitters so that a single optical fiber can serve multiple buildings, reducing the amount of fiber required in a network and thereby reducing the cost of buildouts. The three largest telcos in the U.S. – AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), BellSouth Corp. (NYSE: BLS), and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) – have put out a request for proposal (RFP) for gigabit PON (GPON). (See RBOCs Aim for 10M GPON Subs and Will AT&T Become Ma Video?)

Recent related news:

Wireless

Wireless LAN, or WiFi, while a local-area networking technology, is fast becoming hip, as public access hotspots explode into metro area deployments, often as municipal networks. The aim is to provide access to users on the move so they can connect to the Internet and corporate networks wherever they are – an important asset in the age of telecommuting. (See Metro WiFi to Soar.)

Fixed wireless is touted as an alternative to wireline broadband, one that can connect users in remote locations without the need for laying new cable. Being wire-free also makes it easier for service providers to increase bandwidth capacity, as all the equipment is located above the ground.

WiMax is the buzzword du jour in the wireless space, but, as an alternative access technology for large-scale deployments, it is still very much a work in progress. The first wave of certification for fixed WiMax products was completed in January, while certified mobile WiMax gear is expected to hit the market by early 2007. (See WiMax Gear Approved for Market and IEEE OKs Mobile WiMax.)

Like fixed wireless, WiMax is especially attractive in emerging markets, where demand for broadband services is exploding and service providers calculate that laying new copper or fiber cabling would be too expensive and time-consuming. (See India Looks to WiMax for Broadband .)Recent related news:

Free-space optics

Free-space optics (FSO), also called free-space photonics (FSP), uses lasers or light-emitting diodes to provide optical high-speed bandwidth. The technology is often used to network buildings over distances of several kilometers, but the connections can be disrupted by poor atmospheric conditions like fog, heavy rain, snow, or smog.

Recent related news:

Powerline

Broadband over powerline (BPL) is a technology that provides high-speed Internet access through electrical outlets. Also referred to as powerline Ethernet, it’s viewed as a somewhat eccentric niche market, but it has attracted service providers that like the idea of using existing infrastructure to roll out high-speed services. Like wireless, it bypasses the need to lay new cable, and it can substitute for wireline in remote areas where cabling isn’t feasible. It’s worth noting that Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) has an interest in the technology, having invested in powerline carrier Current Communications Group LLC last summer. (See Google Backs Powerline Carrier.)

Recent related news:

DSL

The DSL Forum was initially focused on standardizing the access network, but it has increasingly taken an interest in the in-home broadband network, launching the DSLHome initiative to concentrate on device and management requirements as well as back-end integration.

Among the suite of standards coming out of the DSLHome division, TR-069 has emerged as a key requirement in creating a standardized means for service providers to manage residential gateways. Published at the end of 2004, TR-069 is designed to allow autoconfiguration servers to acquire information on the status of the gateway – for example, wireless or PPPoE settings – and change them if necessary. It includes initial remote configuration of the gateway; upgrades to software or firmware; status and performance monitoring; and troubleshooting and diagnostics. Other key texts will be approved this year to extend management inside the home to a range of devices and improve interoperability among vendors.

The Forum is in the process of expanding its remit further to encompass Layer 3 specifications that are applicable to FTTP and FTTN (PON) in addition to DSLAM-based platforms. The focus of DSLHome now also covers management of common CPE and devices for all types of wide-area networks and consumer electronics networking requirements. (See DSL Forum Expands Remit.)

Cable

In the cable/MSO space, CableLabs has taken international IP routing, Ethernet, VOIP, and softswitch standards and adapted them for cable's HFC networks and distributed headend/central office architecture. Its PacketCable architecture adds softswitch call management extensions to DOCSIS (Data Over Cable System Interface Specification), which incorporates QOS controls for high-speed cable equipment and software. PacketCable MultiMedia (PCMM) supports video, gaming, and other real-time applications beyond voice.

As a parallel to the DSLHome initiative, CableLabs has come up with a set of standards that address convergence. These include: OpenCable, DOCSIS Set-top Gateway (DSG), CableHome, and Open Cable Applications Platform (OCAP).

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has approved a suite of 16 CableLabs PacketCable specifications as international standards, covering topics such as architecture, network call signaling, quality of service (QOS), support for multimedia, and other functions for providing interactive services over a cable television network using IP. (See ITU Approves Standard.)

Circuit emulation/pseudowire

According to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) , pseudowire emulation edge-to-edge (PWE3) is a mechanism that emulates the essential attributes of a service such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Ethernet, or Frame Relay over a packet-switched network.

This makes pseudowires a powerful tool for convergence, now that operators worldwide have built big Internet Protocol (IP) core networks and are extending Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) towards the edge of those networks. The basic idea is that an operator has a Layer 3 MPLS network but still wants to transport legacy services, including Layer 2 services.

By using pseudowires, operators can transport legacy services that are already generating revenues, while at the same time taking advantage of the high speed and wide connectivity of IP/MPLS networks to lower the cost of legacy services and to extend them into new markets. In addition, they can support new IP services that provide new sources of revenue.

IMS

IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) is the latest overhyped acronym in telecom, but nonetheless an important one. Although it has its roots in the 3G mobile community, IMS is now seen by many wireline service providers as the key to migrating legacy wireline networks towards IP, next-generation networks, voice over IP, and fixed/mobile convergence.

IMS builds on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to enable the creation and control of real-time IP applications like telephony, conferencing, messaging, and multiplayer games. The aim is to separate the application layer from the network layer, enabling telcos to launch new services quickly and more cheaply than before. Thus, IMS is being heralded as a savior for service providers from the onslaught of the likes of Google and Skype Ltd. .

For more on IMS, check out Light Reading’s IMS Guide and the recent report, The Role of IMS in PSTN-to-VOIP Migration.

PONs

Faced with the bandwidth limitations of copper-based broadband technologies such as DSL, telecom operators are moving towards the deployment of fiber-based infrastructure using passive optical networking that can support high-bandwidth services such as video. Several different standards have emerged as PON has continued to evolve over the last 20 years or so:

Ethernet PON (EPON) is already widely deployed in Japan, with more than one million subscribers connected. Meanwhile, GPON is catching on in North America, where operators are looking at it as an upgrade path for BPON networks.

MSAPs

Multiservice access platforms – also known as broadband loop carriers (BLCs) or multiservice access nodes (MSANs) – have emerged as the product of choice in broadband access network buildouts. MSAPs integrate IP DSLAMs with other functions, such as VOIP media gateways, FTTx optical line terminals (OLTs), and packet transport, to handle multiple traffic types. In general the term MSAP can refer to any DSL platform that delivers a range of services, based on IP, ATM, or TDM technology, over copper or fiber loops.

U.S.-based CLECs in particular are expected to increase their deployment of MSAPs to build out their broadband access networks in coming months, according to Heavy Reading, as FCC rule changes regarding unbundled network elements go into effect. (See HR: FCC Spurs MSAP.)

DSLAMs

DSL access multiplexers sit at the edge of carrier networks, where DSL access lines fan out to customer sites. The basic components are a stack of linecards plus an ATM switch, which helps set up and control the quality of virtual circuits running between customers and the upstream B-RAS (broadband remote access server). (See Figure 1)



IP DSLAMs

Vendors generally refer to any DSLAM with IP Layer functionality and non-ATM backhaul as an IP DSLAM. This includes not only Ethernet DSLAMs with a minimum of IP functionality, but also ATM DSLAMs with minimal or high IP functionality.

With service providers looking to boost the speed of DSL services so they can carry video, IP DSLAMs have become increasingly hot products. They can be deployed in the central office (CO) or in remote terminals in the outside plant (OSP), but since DSL bit rates depend on the length of the line, carriers are ramping up deployment of remote DSLAMs in street cabinets.

Table 2 lists vendors of MSAPs, central office DSLAMs, and outside plant DSLAMs:

Table 2: MSAP & IP DSLAM Suppliers

ATM DSLAMs

The main difference between ATM and Ethernet DSLAMs is the interior switching technology. The former use ATM switching and an ATM uplink to a B-RAS in addition to ATM in the DSL link to the subscriber. Some vendors offer ATM DSLAMs with Gigabit Ethernet backhaul capability so that they can compete on capex and opex. In some cases, incumbent network operators have used these to deploy new services using a cheaper backhaul network without disrupting their installed base of DSLAMs.

As operators shift to ADSL2+ and VDSL, demand for ATM DSLAMs is expected to continue its decline. (See IPDSLAMs Hit 44% of Market.)

Cable modem termination systems

CMTSs are the equivalent of DSLAMs for the cable/MSO world. The CMTS is located in the cable headend and receives digital signals from the cable modem, which it converts into IP packets to be transmitted to an IP router.

CMTS manufacturers include:

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Ethernet has been embraced as an access technology thanks to its gigabit speeds and scaleability. The lower cost of equipment stems from the technology's overwhelming market presence and its existence as a well defined standard under the IEEE. (See IEEE 802.3ah EFM Standard Ratified.) The IEEE 802.3ah standard specifies Ethernet PON, fiber, and copper in the first mile.

In the local loop, the access node resides at a CO or point-of-presence (POP), acting as the gateway to the public network and directing data to and from the network core. (See Figure 2). The subscriber equipment sits on the other end of the loop.



There is a broad array of vendors offering devices that provide Ethernet access over fiber, copper, or using pseudowires (circuit emulation).

Ethernet over fiber

Ethernet over copper

Circuit emulation/pseudowire

Related Light Reading reports:

Related Webinars:

The three main elements in point-to-multipoint passive optical networking are the optical line terminal (OLT), passive optical splitters, and the optical network terminal (ONT). Depending on where the PON terminates, the system is referred to as fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC), fiber-to-the-building (FTTB), fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP), or fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). (See Figure 3.)



ONT and OLT vendors are listed in Table 3:Table 3: ONT & OLT Suppliers

Related Light Reading report:

Related Webinars:

Residential DSL gateways have begun to take center stage as broadband service providers roll out services such as VOIP and video. As the range of services on offer in broadband packages has grown, these gateways have become increasingly complex. A gateway comprises a chipset, software such as firmware and applications stacks, and various kinds of additional intellectual property, along with the physical housing for the device.

Key gateway functions include: DSL support, voice support, QOS, video support, security, remote and automatic configuration and management, and networking (Ethernet, WiFi, etc.).

Home gateway vendors include:

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Wireless access equipment comes in several flavors, scaling up from local-area networking (wireless LAN) and fixed wireless to citywide WiMax. WiMax is being hyped as an alternative last-mile technology that eliminates the costly trenching and cabling of new wireline/fiber networks, while providing high-speed, carrier-grade Ethernet data communications over long distances. (See Figure 4.)



Wireless LAN

Access points (APs) are the radio transmitters/receivers that form the basic building blocks of a WLAN network. WLAN switches sit either at the edge of an Ethernet LAN in the wiring closet or in the corporate data center, controlling security, management, and radio functions for a network of access points. Wireless bridges provide connections among access points and can also connect multiple wired networks.

WLAN suppliers include: