GR-303 offering aids developers

As competitive local exchange carriers buy unbundled local loops from incumbents at an increasing pace, vendors are working on remote digital terminals to simplify reaching customers served by next generation digital loop carriers. A new GR-303 tool kit from DSET Corp. may make it easier for vendors to develop these products.

GR-303 is a Bellcore specification for interconnection between remote digital terminals and central office switches. DSET sells tool kits that allow vendors to embed GR-303 agents in their products, and it has taken the next step by building the agents themselves.

Previously, DSET offered those products only for network management interconnections, but it has expanded the offering to include tool kits for network signaling agents.

The new GR-303 sets can speed time to market by eliminating the need for developers to create their own GR-303 agents, said Adrian Harris, product management director for telecom management network technologies.

"There's an onslaught of newcomers into the network equipment business who are interested in GR-303," said Phil Cavallo, DSET's marketing vice president. The new entrants are building equipment for the data market, particularly high-speed Internet access, Cavallo said, but they need their equipment to communicate with existing Class 5 switches.