Breaking tradition, Access multiplexer targets CLECs' expanded horizons

Competitive local exchange carriers are claiming valuable territory outside the downtown business market by finding niches in small businesses and city apartment buildings. Their strategy: Find Internet-friendly customers who don't rank first on the Bell companies' priority lists.

Telco Systems this week is announcing an access multiplexer designed for just these business cases. The Access45, to be shown at Supercomm '97 and available in the third quarter, squeezes 48 channels into a 9 x 12 in. box that protrudes eight inches from the wall.

It boasts a $4000 list price, quick transition to new integrated services and a design suited to rugged environments outside central offices. The Access45 will provide POTS and data services to residents and small and medium-sized businesses. The box can stand alone at the customer premises because it will support the TR-008 signaling method.

Its big brother is the Access60 integrated access server. The Access60 and the Access45 share application and LIU cards, network management, supervisory control and user interfaces. This lets carriers keep their inventory and eliminates worker training on a new platform, said Dave Marble, director of product management for Telco Systems.

Some CLECs are working with real estate developers who market the availability of T-1 lines in their sales pitches to eager renters or buyers. The lure of fast Internet access even launched a San Francisco apartment building's renovation, noted Dave LeBeau, vice president of product management for Telco Systems. Beyond the local exchange market lies the T-1 access market, he said. Other prospects for the Access45 include personal communication services and cellular carriers, as well as utilities.

The Access45 will eventually face competition because it uses traditional telephony protocols to wring the maximum performance from existing phone plant, said Michael Kennedy, director of consulting services for Strategic Networks, Boston. An alternative on the horizon could be based on Internet protocol switching rather than circuit switching, he said.