Avail Announces Integrated Concentration Devices

May 18, 2000 -- Avail Networks recently released details about its Integrated Concentration Devices (ICDs) for multi-service access applications. 

According to Avail, its Frontera ICD 2000 solutions are the first products in the industry to integrate subscriber voice and data CPE concentration with ATM switching and IP routing, which enables new deployment options for QoS-intensive, media-rich communications like packet voice and video services.

Designed for deployment by ICPs, including voice/data CLECs, ILECs, Building LECs, ISPs, and PTTs, the company says that its ICDs are access platforms that let providers profitably deploy VoDSL and other multi-service offerings in clustered commercial and residential settings regardless of a facility's distance from service provider central offices. Unlike mini-DSLAMs that only offer DSL concentration and are data-centric in nature, the company's Frontera ICD platforms are supposed to provide centralized in-building aggregation and QoS enforcement for VoDSL IADs, and also allow telephony CPE (phone sets, key systems, and PBXs) to plug directly into the ICD for packetized voice services. 

The ICDs incorporate hardware-based ATM cell switching to offer excellent performance and ultra-low latency with multi-service traffic. Also, the company claims that its Frontera products increase VoDSL, Voice-over-Broadband, and packet-based video deployment flexibility by leveraging DSL services and other high-speed WAN technologies including DS1, DS3, OC-3, and Wireless Local Loop, and by interfacing directly to existing telephony CPE from one or more subscribers.

The ICD 2000 platform allows providers to offer integrated broadband services to clusters of subscriber premises in locations such as commercial multi-tenant unit (MTU) buildings, shared office suites, business campuses, and other locations where subscribers are grouped closely together. The first Frontera ICD 2000 model offers 12 SDSL ports for concentrating multi-service traffic from subscriber DSL CPE such as VoDSL IADs, bridge/routers, and modems, 8 analog POTS ports for connecting subscriber key systems and phones for VoDSL, a serial interface for legacy router connectivity, and 10/100 Ethernet for a LAN segment or local management. Uplink options start with 4 DSI ports, expanding later this year to DS3 and OC-3 ports. 

Frontera ICD 2000 variants are only 1 rack unit (1 RU) high, allowing compact rack or wall mounting. With this set of interfaces, the ICD 2000 allows ICPs to deploy a single CPE platform to aggregate data-only subscribers as well as subscribers that are ready for integrated voice/data services such as VoDSL. Mixed service requirements will be the norm in multi-subscriber environments -- like commercial MTUs -- where adoption of integrated services by individual businesses will take place gradually over time.

"Avail's ability to directly combine voice and DSL CPE concentration in an integrated, multi-subscriber platform sets them apart from other mini-DSLAM and IAD vendors," says Matt Davis, broadband analyst with The Yankee Group. "Their ICD platforms are architected to help Integrated Communications Providers deliver bundled, unified access services to multiple subscribers with high QoS performance and reasonable costs."

Pricing and Availability
Initial ICD 2000 models will go into field trials in June, with general availability in the third quarter. ICD 2000 list prices start in the $12K to $14K range.