Copper bonds key start-up

Start-up Tiara Networks officially launches its company and access products today to fill a niche in the access market. Tiara developed the Virtual Multi-Megabit Access Path technology to bridge the gap between T-1 and T-3 lines.

VMAP is implemented via Tiara's customer premises devices and its aggregation concentrators, which sit in the service provider's point of presence (POP). The access device provides a single virtual pipe by bonding multiple T-1 (1.54 Mb/s) lines and creates a copper T-3 (45 Mb/s) pipe to the central office, said Kash Mitra, vice president of marketing at Tiara.

The technology addresses the problem of how to provide a solution between T-1 and T-3, said Sam Alunni, president of Sterling Research. "This allows you to aggregate these [T-1s] to get as much bandwidth as you need."

It also improves router density. Because multiple T-1s are bonded, several customers can share a router port. Current alternatives, such as channelized T-3 or frame relay solutions, cost more per port "and don't solve the same problem," said Alec Peterson, manager of IP backbone planning at RCN Corp., which is testing the Tiara solution for customer aggregation.

The Tiara solution "makes more efficient use of our routers and better use of the space in our POPs," Peterson said.

Tiara's approach is ideally suited for customers that don't have access to fiber-more than 95% of U.S. businesses, said Mitra.

Bumping up to a T-3 is often cost-prohibitive, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses. T-1s are available in most locations, creating opportunities for Internet service providers to serve customers once outside their grasp, said Peter Sevcik, senior associate with Northeast Consulting Resources.

Using VMAP, ISPs can provide service to customers without blanket coverage in an area. "[ISPs] don't have to give up on those scattered customers. You can extend the reach," Sevcik said.