The ever-changing network

Often billed as the quintessential switching show, this year's Supercomm in New Orleans is no different. It promises to pull out all the stops by introducing a slew of new products that address frequent themes in the data communications world-asymmetrical digital subscriber line technology, Internet access, core switching and transmission, and end-to-end networking.

Alcatel Network Systems plans to announce an ADSL field trial with an unnamed telco. The vendor also will debut Release 2.2 of the 1000 ADSL product, which will ship to customers in the second half of 1997. Among them is the consortium of four Bell regional holding companies that awarded Alcatel Telecom a contract in December 1996 for ADSL modems and related equipment. The enhancement includes improved shelf dimensions and bit rates, as well as standard 4.3 kHz tone spacing.

Saft Nife, a sister company to Alcatel, will highlight 25- and 50-amp rectifier modules. The 25-amp equipment, which is used with the DPA 767 DC distribution power plant, is convection-cooled and designed to work in harsh environments. It is used in personal communication services networks and as the front end of power support for the microwave world, says Larry Bush, telecommunications customer service specialist for Saft Nife.

Orckit Communications will introduce what it bills as the world's first ADSL modem that can run simultaneously with ISDN services over the same line. The modem provides the same 8 Mb/s ADSL downstream transmission over ISDN as it does over regular telephone lines. A new type of passive ISDN splitter is the key, says Nigel Cole, vice president of new business development. The splitter enables parallel and transparent transmission of both ADSL and ISDN over twisted pair and provides an ISDN backup system. If ISDN fails, it has no effect on ADSL signals, and vice versa. "Instead of having the telephony at low frequencies, we can tolerate ISDN at the low frequencies," Cole says.

Orckit is also releasing its FastInternet concentration card. The card concentrates traffic from ADSL and symmetrical DSL (SDSL) modem cards in a central office shelf to one high-speed interface, eliminating the need for external concentration devices and for a router port for each ADSL modem.

Fujitsu Network Communications will begin reselling Orckit's FastInternet DSL broadband access system and other DSL products by June. The two also will work to integrate Orckit's DSL technology into Fujitsu's Factr Sonet access and transport platform for an end-to-end broadband system solution.

Since its introduction at Supercomm '96, the Fastlane family of local area network interconnection products has offered carriers new types of service offerings and revenue sources beyond traditional telephony. The integrated functionality of an Ethernet router is new to Fastlane, building on its LAN bridging capability. Fastlane offers an interface for Fujitsu's FLM 150 add/drop multiplexer (ADM) and Factr Sonet products.

The Fetex-150 ESP's graphical network management system enables centralized collection of alarms from the installed switches and provisioning of permanent virtual circuits via point-and-click control. The scalable system features configuration, fault, security and performance management as well as optional redundancy, in an open systems environment.

3Com and Pulsecom are partnering to offer a packet-based, broadband DSL system that offers universal Internet access and remote connectivity. The system, which had yet to be named at press time, includes the user's modem and splitter as well as the network access provider's concentrator, splitter and DSL access multiplexer (DSLAM).

Separately, 3Com will show off its Internet access devices-the AccessBuilder 8000 family-for Internet service providers and carriers. The 8000 series has analog and ISDN access for concentrating traffic that enters the point of presence (POP). The company also will present its time division multiplexed solutions-the 6100 and 6200-and asynchronous transfer mode access concentrators.

Last year, 3Com acquired OnStream Networks, a wide area network access company, to develop a stronger presence in the carrier market. That acquisition included ATM products such as an ATM multiservices access platform, now dubbed the AccessBuilder 9600, which will be on display at Supercomm.

PairGain Technologies will demonstrate eight categories of products and highlight four partnership applications at Supercomm. The products include the HiGain systems that telcos use to provide digital transmission links at T-1 (1.544 Mb/s) speeds over copper wire; PG-Plus, a small-capacity subscriber carrier system based on high-bit-rate DSL (HDSL) technology that can support up to 24 or 32 channels on two copper lines; and Megabit access products designed to provide solutions for high-speed data transmission for Internet access and telecommuting.

PairGain's AccessGate also lets service providers deploy DSL services, while the AccessHub works with the AccessGate to act as a low-cost DSLAM.

Among service providers using PairGain modems is HarvardNet, a Boston-based ISP that is competing against the local telco to offer high-speed Internet connections. MCI is testing PairGain's Megabit modems in a LAN-intensive call center application, a high-speed Internet access service and a telecommuting application.

Performance Telecom will demonstrate the Champion and CopperAccel ADSL modem systems, as well as the CopperCluster DSL Gateway. CopperCluster is a high-density DSL modem concentrator that incorporates both carrierless amplitude/phase modulation and discrete multitone modems, 100BaseT WAN and ATM OC-3 (155 Mb/s) broadband network interfaces.

The company also will demonstrate its Champion single-pair HDSL and SDSL equipment, as well as DSL modems with ISDN compatibility that support European and North American digital standards.

Sourcecom promises an announcement about integrating its Banc 6000 with ADSL modem technology. No details were available at press time. The company also will demonstrate combined transmission and modem technology, along with the Banc 6000, which is credited with being the first integrated LAN/WAN frame relay and cell switching and routing access product.

U.S. Robotics will demonstrate user-side modems and telco-side modems and concentrators. On the user side, Viper-DSL is a multiuser ADSL modem for an Ethernet PC or PC LAN. It is designed for small businesses, extending corporate intranets to branch offices and bringing Internet access to the home.

Viper-DSL's counterpart is the new AxCell dual-channel modem card, which lets telcos concentrate up to 32 ADSL lines in a U.S. Robotics Total Control chassis.

Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector will feature a passive ISDN terminal adapter reference design. The plug-and-play design is ISA-compatible and performs ISDN call control services on a PC processor. The company also will showcase ISDN products, Motorola evaluation boards and third-party reference designs.

Sourcecom and Motorola recently announced a strategic alliance to generate a standards-based design for a low-cost ADSL board, code-named Alchemy. Motorola will supply its CopperGold ADSL transceivers, while Sourcecom will provide its Innerware internetworking software.

Amati will announce its latest ADSL discrete multitone-based modem, the Overture 8. Model 810 is smaller, has a new design and is rate adaptive. The company also will show its new plug-in card that doubles the density of the Allegro DSLAM modem shelf.

The Overture 8 modems and Allegro data/video access concentrator will exemplify a Supercomm demonstration of video and data over a single ADSL connection, as well as broadcast-quality TV, video-on-demand, distance learning and Internet access over ADSL. Amati expects to start seeing volume ADSL deployment in 1998.

ATM and multimedia NEC America Inc.'s Public Networks Group will focus on six products at Supercomm '97.

Vista, NEC's newest intelligent access platform, delivers revenue-generating services to the customer premises over virtually any available outside plant. As a synchronous transfer mode (STM)/ATM hybrid system, Vista accommodates traditional high-capacity services, cell-based high-speed data services and next generation digital loop carrier-like services. Grooming at various levels of bandwidth, this product will allow providers to "unbundle" services more easily. Vista will be shown off-site to select showgoers.

BAX uses ATM architecture to create a solution for emerging demands to deliver multimedia services. BAX employs recent advancements in local access technologies to deliver video, data and voice for fiber to the building or node applications. NEC's Broadband Access System complies with de facto industry standards for open network architecture development.

SpectralWave is a narrowband wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) that enables service providers to extend both the span length and the capacity of existing fiber plant. The system, which works on standard fiber, uses the latest narrowband WDM technology to combine the outputs from eight to 32 channels into one fiber.

The ITS-2400V is a high-speed multiplexer that provides OC-48 (2.4 Gb/s) broadband transmission for network applications. The architecture for the Intelligent Transport System supports five configurations: terminal, repeater, ADM and two- or four-fiber BLSR.

The ISC-303 digital loop carrier brings fiber optic services to low-density areas and supports Bellcore standards TR-008 and TR-303. It is aimed at providing an efficient option for deploying fiber in the loop (FITL).

The Atomnet/M20 ATM backbone switch is designed to provide high capacity and reliability for public carriers, large private networks and WAN service applications. Full ATM signaling for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections is supported across both the user-to-network interface and the network-to-network interface.

Lucent Technologies' Transmission Business Group will demonstrate its Optical Networking and DDM 2000 Data Services Solutions. The demonstration will include voice, data and video carried over dense WDM systems, interoffice rings and access rings. Lucent also will be displaying several other new Sonet-based capabilities, but details were unavailable at press time.

Northern Telecom plans to showcase four hardware products along with its Internet Thruway application.

Nortel's Magellan Passport is a modular, cell-based ATM switch that handles a mix of standards-based interfaces and services, provides high-performance multiprotocol routing and simultaneously supports voice, data, video and image traffic.

Nortel's Magellan Vector is a standards-based ATM switch with a non-blocking, output-buffered switching architecture capable of providing up to 10 Gb/s of throughput.

The Magellan Concorde is a network backbone ATM switch designed to deliver multimedia applications to public networks or large private networks. Concorde features a distributed architecture that integrates existing Sonet infrastructures and extends Sonet beyond existing nodes.

Nortel's Rapport dial-up switch combines the functions of the modem, terminal server, access router, and ATM or frame relay switch for an ISP's POP into a single device.

The Internet Thruway Solution comprises three components as well as the expertise of Nortel's Network Services Solutions organization, which provides a full range of traffic auditing and network services. Nortel's AccessNode Direct is the first element in the Internet Thruway, providing Internet call interception. The Rapport dial-up switch then provides modem-pool, terminal server and ISDN support; Internet protocol routing; and interfaces into ATM or frame relay switching networks. The Magellan Passport completes the application with data networking and consolidation functions.

Reltec plans to show its Matrix Interactive Multimedia Access System. The matrix platform consists of three fundamental elements, with optional Sonet transport capability. Elements include an STM gateway providing narrowband POTS and locally and non-locally switched special circuits; an ATM gateway that routes broadband traffic to optical interface units and delivers multimedia directly to desktops and residences; and an AM-VSB overlay, providing analog video delivery over a matrix FITL loop system configured with a coaxial drop. The optional integrated Sonet multiplexer provides ring and point-to-point links as well as add/drop functionality.

ADC Telecommunications is unveiling its new Cellworx STN, a next generation broadband transport platform that incorporates DSL. Cellworx STN is designed to be a building block for future cell-based broadband networks. It combines transport aspects of Sonet ADMs with cell-based networking efficiencies to support local loop access for ATM services, frame relay, LAN and circuit emulation.

The RF Worx product line will also appear at ADC's booth. RF Worx line is a series of modular RF splitters, combiners, attenuators, equalizers, monitors and amplification redundancy switch products for 5 MHz to 1 GHz applications.

ADC also will be demonstrating multichannel multipoint distribution service (MMDS) by linking its Homeworx platform to MMDS two-way wireless service. Also featured at the show will be ADC's Systems Integration Group, which gives service providers support in building and maintaining networks.

Cascade Communications, recently acquired by Ascend, will demonstrate its CBX 500 carrier-class ATM cell switch, designed to deliver ATM cell streams with multiple qualities of service; the B-STDX product line of fully redundant, flexible packet switches; the CascadeView/UX network management system; the AX high-capacity remote access switches designed for telecommuting applications; and its SA series of service access multiplexers that accommodate 72 I/O interfaces and integrate circuit, packet and cell-based traffic.

General DataComm will demonstrate IP switching capability in its ATM switch, the GDC Apex, with a major global telecom carrier. GDC was not prepared to name the carrier at press time. GDC announced in June 1996 that it was licensing and integrating Ipsilon Networks' IP switching protocols with the GDC Apex product family.

Hughes Network Systems will feature its IX200 and IX500 edge switches and BX frame relay/ATM switch.

Newbridge Networks will display its line of MainStreet Xpress ATM switches, including the 36150 access switch, 36170 multiservices switch and the 36190 core services switch.

Internet solutions Telco Systems will announce a new product from its integrated access line. The company also will feature products from its access, broadband transmission and bandwidth optimization product families.

Elsewhere, a number of companies will showcase products and software to facilitate high-speed Internet access. Tut Systems will highlight products already being installed, including the DSL Expresso System that MCI is using in its high-speed access trial with Northwest Iowa Telephone.

Tut Systems also has teamed with the IXC to provide 768 kb/s Internet access to every public school in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. The Expresso system consists of a terminal shelf that supports 19 lines, a network element management system, high-speed terminal line cards and remote modems that feature automatic rate adaptation.

Tut's focus is Independent telcos, which it believes will act more quickly than the RHCs, says Sal D'Auria, president and chief executive officer. "People [at Supercomm] will see that DSL is real," he says, adding that he expects limited rollouts in the second quarter of this year with momentum gaining in the final two quarters. The company also will show its XL18000 high-speed LAN modem that provides connectivity up to 18,000 feet.

Bellcore will show the Adapt/X Advertiser System, a software solution designed to help businesses create and distribute highly targeted, interactive advertising to current and prospective customers over the World Wide Web. By using the system, companies can select their target audience demographically, designate the number of advertising impressions shown over their choice of prime Web sites, and decide on the sequencing of their ads and whether they want competitive or non-competitive ad placement.

The Adapt/X Advertiser system offers advertising agencies an opportunity to schedule commissionable ads on the Web. Adapt/X Advertiser System makes it easier for companies hosting Web sites to manage on-line advertising, offers a faster and easier way for advertisers to place on-line ads and deliver desired results, and provides a more interesting and interactive way for Web users to view ads.

Bay Networks will showcase products from its remote access, data-over-cable and router product families. These include the Remote Access 6100 that provides users with remote client, multiuser host and remote office access; the Remote Access 6300, which provides access for digital and analog modem users via primary rate ISDN; the LCP personal cable modem from the LANcity cable modem division, which provides an end-to-end cable modem data networking solution; the Access Stack Node, which includes hot-swap capability, redundant LAN interfacing and router features; and the backbone concentrator node router, which features a symmetrical multiprocessor architecture, fully distributed system software and fault management capabilities.

DSC will be demonstrating an intelligent Internet access solution using Ispan, which redirects both line and trunk traffic to ease switch congestion. DSC also will be focusing on high-density digital cross-connect as a way to improve network efficiency.

RAD Data Communications will introduce the Megaplex-2100, a modular multiplexer that puts 144 toll-quality voice channels across a single T-1 link, and the Web Ranger, an Internet access router that connects an entire LAN to the Internet using a single IP address.

Larscom will debut four products revolving around its Orion 4000 broadband access multiplexer. The first is a T3Clear module for the multiplexer, which transports data, voice and ATM over a single DS-3 circuit and can be used with other modules to transport up to eight T-1 lines of voice or inverse multiplexed ATM traffic.

Larscom's international offering is an IMUX/E1-A45 ATM inverse multiplexer module that addresses multinational customers' needs to transport ATM traffic across continents.

The others products are a high-speed data port for the Access-T45 DS-3 network service unit, enabling broadband Internet access, video/image processing and other activities, and the LarsView SNMP graphical user interface that manages Larscom's high-speed network access products using equipment icons and pulldown menus. UUNet Technologies announced last month that it has deployed the Orion 4000 and Access-T45 in its network.

NetEdge Systems Inc. will announce software Release 2.2 for its Edge multiservice access platforms. The release, which customers can download from the Internet, will let service providers consolidate dynamic routing into their edge devices and eliminates the need for a router between the customer and the service provider.

As the shift from private to public networks continues, more end users will look to service providers to alleviate their networking burdens, NetEdge believes.

"Customers using our current product can provide this function in addition to native LAN speed services they've provided in the past," says Doug Green, product line manager at NetEdge.

The three new models of the Edge product line shipped at the end of February, and the entire line will be on view at Supercomm '97.