Hello,

Welcome to another issue of RAD at a Glance, the newsletter from RAD Data Communications about developments in the communications industry.

ACCESS TRENDS

The State of Ethernet in the Access

Part I: Ethernet over ATM, PDH and SDH/SONET Networks

More and more enterprises require interconnection of LANs between multiple offices over the wide area network (WAN) as well as connectivity to various services (such as Internet access). Carriers are responding to their customers' needs by offering various flavors of Ethernet access services based on different WAN infrastructures. Layer 2 services are being embraced because they require minimum involvement in customer network planning, design and testing. Moreover, in addition to IP, Ethernet access services support legacy networking protocols (SNA, IPX, Decnet), offering bandwidth granularity, scalability, flexible topologies and a simplified network environment. Despite the many advantages of Ethernet access services, carriers still face significant challenges in delivering an Ethernet interface to the customer premises. Let's examine the various access scenarios available to carriers and their customers.

Ethernet over Legacy Networks

Although the pace of metro Ethernet access network deployment has gained ground during the past few years, ATM and SDH/SONET infrastructure continue to dominate the carrier's metro as well as country-wide transport network, not only among incumbent carriers. Both these legacy infrastructures offer carrier-class Quality of Service (QoS) and OAM (operation, administration and maintenance) mechanisms.

Ethernet over ATM
ATM is inherently more Ethernet-friendly - with widely accepted standards for mapping Ethernet frames to ATM VCs as well as advanced traffic prioritization schemes. To ensure end-to-end control and support of SLAs, carriers deploy intelligent interworking devices at the customer premises such as RAD's ACE-52 multiservice network termination unit for Ethernet and CES services. These dedicated units have advanced OAM functionality, with sophisticated traffic management capabilities. Users can be assured of excellent, guaranteed performance along with support for additional services.

Ethernet over SDH/SONET
Recent standards such as the generic framing procedure (GFP), virtual concatenation (VCAT) and link capacity adjustment scheme (LCAS) have begun to play a role in enabling carriers to offer a better quality Ethernet-over-SDH/SONET experience, taking advantage of the resiliency of the SDH/SONET infrastructure. This "Next Generation" SDH/SONET approach, however, is generally found in pricey new multiservice provisioning platforms, which typically do not support low order (multiple VC-12/VT1.5) data rates. The alternative to investing in a Next Generation ADM is to deploy compact dedicated access equipment at the customer premises, such as RAD's FCD-155 Ethernet-over-SDH/SONET CLE. The device incorporates GFP, VCAT and LCAS technology, providing several LAN ports and TDM interfaces.

Managed Ethernet Converters
For many applications, simple protocol conversion is still the most cost-effective route. This is particularly valid for legacy SDH/SONET networks that do not support next generation SDH/SONET technologies. Managed converters are now available for various Ethernet user interfaces and access rates up to Gigabit Ethernet over STM-1/OC-3. For networks using radio links for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint connectivity, managed converters are available with E3/T3 uplinks for greater Ethernet throughput. For more information see RAD's RIC family of converters.

Many customers still access their service provider's network over low speed copper links. For this reason, carriers require Ethernet access solutions that optimize conversion of Ethernet to PDH/SDH/SONET networks. Simple, managed protocol converters are the most effective solution. And by using inverse multiplexing technology, RAD's IMXi-4 can support access rates of up to 8 Mbps over four E1 or SHDSL links.

Stay tuned for Part II: The Ethernet Access Local Loop

GENERAL NEWS

Didn't Make It to CeBIT?

If you could not attend the CeBIT exhibition in Hannover, Germany, you can still visit RAD's booth - online! See what we are offering for "Any Service over Any Access Network" at http://www.rad.com/Home/0,6583,6673,00.html.

TelecomTV Talks to RAD about Integration of 2G and 3G Networks

At the 3GSM World Congress held in February in Cannes, France, RAD's Senior Business Development Manager explains how mobile operators can achieve significant savings on cellular transport by delivering GSM, GPRS and 3G services over the same backhaul network.
Watch the streaming video interview

SUCCESS STORIES

Voice Compression for Rural Telephony

RAD's Vmux voice compression solution has been chosen by Atlas Telecom Network, the wholesale division of Atlas Telecom, a global telecommunications operator. Atlas has deployed 20 Vmux devices across England, Eastern Europe and French-speaking parts of Africa to provide termination of voice traffic to remote, hard-to-reach parts of the world. Full story

Chinese Utility Deploys RAD Multiservice Solution to Transport Data and Voice Between Substations

RAD multiplexers and modems support the full range of applications required by the power utility, including the transmission of real-time data and voice, LAN, SCADA, telecontrol, security, signaling and network management. The RAD products deliver multiservice traffic between the operations center and substations via leased line and radio links.
Full story

NEW PRODUCT

Extend the Reach of Your SDH/SONET Network

The Optimux-T3L is one of the most cost-effective M13 multiplexers on the market, providing an E1/T1 fan-out solution from a single T3 line. The Optimux-T3L is specially designed to meet carriers' and service providers' needs to provide multiple E1/T1 services to customers while minimizing both capital and operating expenses (Capex and Opex). It extends 21 E1 or 28 T1 lines, or a combination of E1 and T1 lines, to distances up to 110 km (69 miles) over a single T3 coax or fiber link. It supports the G.747 standard for mapping E1 and T1 to T3 protocol.
More details on Optimux-T3L

WHAT'S NEW ON-LINE

New Brochures Present RAD’s Innovative Technologies

Download our new brochures that present RAD’s Compressed Voice System, which slashes voice costs over IP and TDM networks; TDMoIP technology for delivering voice, video and data over Next Generation networks; and our solutions for multiservice ATM access with end-to-end Quality of Service.

New Brochures Offer Data Communications and Telecommunications Solutions for Specific Industries

Download our new brochures that present RAD’s connectivity solutions for the power and railway industries.

Sincerely,
Shari Ingerman
Senior Editor, RAD Data Communications