Copper Mountain MTU DSL Concentrators Support Quantum Bridge's Optical Access Solution 

By Wayne Kawamoto
Managing Editor, CLEC-Planet 

November 9, 2000 -- Copper Mountain Networks and Quantum Bridge Communications announced that Copper Mountain's DSL concentrators can now interoperate with Quantum Bridge's optical access solutions, enabling multi-tenant unit (MTU) DSL broadband providers to better leverage "first-mile" public network fiber-optic infrastructure with "last-mile" in-building copper telephone wiring.

The Quantum Bridge/Copper Mountain copper-to-fiber solution integrates Copper Mountain's CopperEdge and OnPrem DSL concentrators with Quantum Bridge's QB5000 Optical Access Switch (OAS) and QB100 Intelligent Optical Terminal (IOT).
Copper Mountain's DSL concentrators are designed to aggregate voice and data traffic from multiple subscribers onto shared network paths or "virtual circuits," which should enable MTU broadband providers to cost-effectively provision and scale DSL services over buildings' existing copper wiring. Quantum Bridge's optical-access technology can enable DSL broadband providers who standardize on Copper Mountain concentrators to cost-effectively backhaul voice and data traffic from MTUs over high-bandwidth fiber-optic cable by enabling them to "slice" wavelengths and divide fiber capacity among different customers with varying bandwidth requirements.

With the interoperable Quantum Bridge/Copper Mountain copper-to-fiber solution, MTU service providers should be able to deploy a Copper Mountain CopperEdge or OnPrem DSL concentrator to deliver high-value voice and data services to subscribers over a building's installed base of "last mile" copper wiring. The concentrator can pass off subscribers' voice and data traffic to a Quantum Bridge QB100 Intelligent Optical Terminal (IOT), which can be deployed alongside it in building wiring closets. The QB100 IOT, which supports variable customized backhaul speeds, can send the traffic across a "first-mile" Passive Optical Network to a QB5000 Optical Access Switch (OAS). Located in a service provider's network operations center, the QB5000 OAS should be able to aggregate traffic from hundreds of QB100 IOTs and forward it to a wide area network.

"Quantum Bridge's advanced optical access solution makes fiber backhaul more affordable for MTU DSL service providers," said George Marshall, vice president of marketing for Copper Mountain's MTU Business Unit. "With Copper Mountain's CopperEdge and OnPrem DSL concentrators and Quantum Bridge's Optical Access System, MTU providers can deliver cost-effective high-speed DSL broadband services over existing copper wiring and cost-effectively backhaul traffic over high-bandwidth fiber."

"Copper Mountain's CopperEdge and OnPrem DSL concentrators boost the cost efficiency of broadband service over a building's installed copper infrastructure, and Quantum Bridge's optical access solutions boost the cost efficiency of fiber backhaul." said Jeff Gwynne, founder and senior vice president of marketing at Quantum Bridge Communications. "It's a hand-in-glove fit that enables MTU service providers to achieve cost efficiencies end to end."