ADC's intelligent Access Network enables service providers to provision DSL, voice and video services. By going straight to data packets, ADC enables enviable digital cost savings.

by Alex Goldman ISP-Planet Associate Editor [July 1, 2002]

ADC recently released a voice-over-digital subscriber line (VoDSL) system targeted at local exchange carriers of all kinds. From independent operating companies (IOC) and facility-based competitive local exchange carriers (CLEC) to the incumbents and regional Bell operating companies (RBOCs), ADC offers an intelligent Access Network solution.

iAN MG-1, short for intelligent Access Network Media Gateway number one, the compact unit consists of a 21" high x 23" wide x 12" deep chassis with fan, and holds 22 multipurpose slots. Each slot can accommodate any one of the following modules:

• LI24: 24 ports of lifeline Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). "Lifeline" means that power is always supplied from the iAN gateway, so the customer/user never requires local power. Power failures will not affect service.
• UVG24: 24 ports of Universal Voice Grade (UVG) service. This is a programmable voice card that is also powered by iAN gateway.
• AD12P: 12 ports of asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) service plus a splitter and POTS service for each of the twelve ports. This module separates voice and data for each of the 12 ports it supports.
• AD16: 16 ports of G.lite or G.dmt ADSL. These two ADSL standards are universal. They support slower data rates but function more efficiently outside of the central office (CO). ADC uses the ITU's G.992.1 definition of G.lite and the G.992.2 definition of G.dmt.
• SH16: 16 ports of G.SHDSL. G.SHSDSL is another version of DSL that is supposed to extend the reach of DSL, but it provides symmetric DSL (SDSL).
• T1A12: 12 T-1 ports.

The chassis backplane supports 26 GB, and the unit can transmit up to 1.2 Gbps upstream. Mike Day, ADC chief technology officer, said service providers should be thinking ahead when gauging subscribers' bandwidth demand.

"Our backplane is VDSL ready, and also ready for video," Day said. "Some competing products are not prepared to accommodate video deployment."

According to Day, the unit's petite frame and comprehensive features provide a wide variety of competitive advantages. Since the ADSL splitter is in the ADSL module, a provider using the iAN MG-1 should be able to reduce equipment colocated at the CO. If equipment is down-sized, then service providers paying for space in the CO reduce the amount of real estate required and should experience immediate cost reductions.

Additionally, the iAN MG-1 enables service providers to go straight to digital transport by using their own ATM or SONET infrastructure.

The unit comes provides low heat dissipation, which is vital in remote locations. Day said that ADC has hardened and experienced equipment ready to meet extreme conditions.

"Our product is a high density unit designed for heat dissipation," Day said. "We've been building DLC systems for years and have deployments in the deserts of South Africa and Israel and in the jungles of Brazil."

Combined with other ADC products, like its SBS-1000 (Service Brokering Server) and iMS software (intelligent Management System), the iAN MG-1 can be made application-aware using HTML via the H.248 multimedia control standard. The unit can prioritize the delivery of voice and video services, as well as deliver other value-added services including walled garden, virus protection, self-administration for ordering premium services, among others.

Day said the real savings come from the company's service brokering system that spans the IP and non-IP worlds.

"For example," Day explained, "a customer could use the system to change their voice services by interacting with a Web portal instead of a human agent. It's fairly unique: a rich IP control architecture that also spans the non-IP universe."

Pricing and availability
The iAN products are available now. According to Day, a fully-equipped system that includes uplinks and cards costs about $100 to $150 per port. He further stressed that the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of the unit is even more competitive when the prices of cabinet space, power lines and other costs are factored into the picture, because the unit is small, efficient, and fully loaded.

—End