RAD Unveils Suite of Solutions Aiding Ethernet Access Deployment over SDH/SONET, ATM or Packet-Switched Backbones

Emphasising evolution, not revolution, RAD Data Communications will be introducing at ITU Telecom World 2003 in Geneva several new standards-based Ethernet access solutions that serve incumbent carriers immediate requirements to deliver Ethernet-based access services over existing SDH and ATM transport networks. The new suite of solutions also addresses metro Ethernet service providers’ demands for intelligent dedicated access devices located at the customer’s premises.

“Our research with carriers worldwide points to increasing demand for Ethernet access-based services,” says Mark Bieberich, Senior Analyst, Communications Network Infrastructure, the Yankee Group. “RAD’s evolutionary approach enables carriers to expand their addressable market by offering Ethernet access-based services in a wide variety of network environments.”

The unconventional logic in deploying Ethernet access solutions to serve existing SDH and ATM backbones is attracting increasing interest because it reduces legacy access investment to an absolute minimum while allowing carriers to begin to develop tomorrow’s Ethernet access networks at an incremental and, therefore, affordable pace. This “bottom-up” approach allows carriers to reap savings from Ethernet’s low costs while gaining valuable experience with packet-based technologies even before the network core will have made a similar transition.

 

“By beginning to deploy an Ethernet access local loop, over the existing SDH or ATM backbone infrastructure, carriers are able to reduce today’s access operating costs and simultaneously deploy technology that will be ready to serve tomorrow’s access needs,” states Dr Yuri Gittik, Director of Business Development at RAD Data Communications. “In short,” adds Gittik, “they can achieve ‘profitability without pain’ from new Ethernet-based services, utilising their current network architecture, yet be able to chart a migration strategy based on access equipment complying with the emerging standards for multiple services over packet switched networks.”

Ethernet metro service providers face a number of daunting challenges. To gain a competitive advantage, they must differentiate themselves by service quality assurance as well as supporting a mix of service offerings, including voice and leased line circuits. In addition, they have to keep the operations side of their business trimmed to the bare minimum. “By deploying access products that enable managed services,” says Gittik, “the metro area service provider can benefit from performance monitoring and other Quality of Service mechanisms on the Ethernet services, nearly eliminate truck rolls and maintain strict compliance with Service Level Agreements.”

The Ethernet access solutions that RAD will unveil at Telecom Geneva include a dedicated NTU (Network Termination Unit), multiservice CLEs (Customer Located Equipment), an enhanced, high performance multiservice CLE and a high port density central site solution.

 

Additional product solutions for Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet access are currently in development. RAD is also considering the development of a dedicated access aggregator solution that would enable fan out over fibre and mapping into SDH and ATM, while also enabling future migration to packet switched networks.

IPmux products leverage TDM over IP (TDMoIP®) technology, which was developed and introduced into the market by RAD, to allow for multiservice traffic over packet switched networks (PSNs). Originally developed as a solution for running TDM traffic over IP, TDMoIP® has now evolved into a TDMoPSN solution that optimizes TDM circuit emulation over MPLS and Ethernet networks as well.

 

RAD has been leading the effort in the MPLS and Frame Relay Alliance to standardise TDM over MPLS and is the editor of two of the Alliance’s recently approved implementation agreements for transporting TDM traffic and voice trunking over MPLS.