Allied Telesyn jumps into FTTx race

MIAMI—Allied Telesyn today said it has developed a new FTTx platform aimed at telcos launching triple play services.

The company, which is the platform at the National Telecommunications Cooperative show here, is combining its AT-TN9000 series Multiservice Access Platforms (MAPs), which is being combined with its new AT-RG600 series of residential gateways. The goal is to give carriers the ability to provide all three services—voice, high-speed data and video over Ethernet.

Like many access vendors, the company is pinning its hopes initially on the independent operating company (IOC) market.

"In the independent space, the majority of IOCs have a small green field that they’re working on," said Bill Allen, who was recently appointed vice president of operations for Allied’s Service Provider Group after a stint at competitor Calix.

However, unlike vendors going after the RBOC market, Allied is relying primarily on an Ethernet-in-the-first-mile architecture. The three RBOCs that put out a joint RFP last year have opted to pursue a passive optical network design. However, according to Allen, PONs simply are too restricted in their data capabilities.

"If you’re going to go through the expense of putting fiber all the way to the premises, why limit yourself?" he said.

In the AT-TN9000, the company is claiming a first in being able to provide both copper and fiber functionality in one Ethernet/IP, chassis-based platform. The end result is a fast return on investment. Additionally, adopting Ethernet will lead to a greater number of services.