OVS rules leave industry ambivalent >BY Shira McCarthy, Associate Editor-News >TX The Federal Communications Commission made the first of two major open video systems decisions last week, issuing a long-awaited order that will give telcos a concrete alter

In another deal to advance the cause of asymmetrical digital subscriber lines, Nuko Information Systems last week committed to integrate Westell Technologies' ADSL access with Nuko's video codec system. In effect, Nuko is taking separate technologies and putting them in one box.

"It's the first time that the ADSL modem and video codec have been put into a single video transmission," said Kieran Taylor, broadband consultant for TeleChoice in Verona, N.J.

The deal may have even broader significance than just a complementary alliance, however. Nuko is the major systems integrator for Pacific Telesis, and Westell is the major supplier worldwide of ADSL modems. Put two and two together and you come up with a possible ADSL trial for Pacific Bell, Taylor said.

A Westell spokesman wouldn't confirm or deny the suggestion but said, "If you value TeleChoice's opinions, and many people do, you would probably go with what they told you." As part of the announced alliance, both Westell and Nuko will promote the ADSL MPEG 2 digital video codec system. They will also demonstrate an end-to-end video system, along with other partners, at Supercomm in Dallas, June 24-27.

The recent Federal Communications Commission adoption of open video system rules (see related story on this page) has come at a fortuitous time for the agreement. "With this FCC ruling, telephony companies will be scrambling to get technology in place to deliver service," a Nuko spokesman said. "This combination of ADSL and Nuko encoding makes it easier to deliver."

Carriers have already begun to ask how they can best deliver video services such as video-on-demand and distance learning, he said.