Vendors tap into multiservice demands: Vina, Nortel introduce access devices

The switch to multiservice is on at both ends of the carrier spectrum. Vina Technologies announced Multiservice XChange, an asynchronous transfer mode-based access device designed for competitive local exchange carriers to sell into small to medium-sized businesses. Nortel Networks announced its Passport 15000, a multiservice access switch for use at the network edge and in the core.

Vina's Multiservice XChange is designed to help carriers migrate from time division multiplexed- to ATM-based networks. It sits at the customer premises and integrates voice, data and video services, virtual private networks and Internet access over one or two shared T-1 or digital subscriber line connections (see figure). Each device can support up to 200 users. Because the device is based on ATM, service providers can guarantee quality of service.

"A typical Class 5 switch, a DMS-500 or a 5ESS, is about $7 million," said Vina customer Mike Viren, CEO of 2nd Century Communications, a Tampa-based CLEC. "The Multiservice XChange access platform pushes the intelligence out at the edge. In the central office you have an ATM gateway. That's about $700,000 [invested] in the CO."

Nortel is taking a different approach, leveraging its installed base of Passport switches. The vendor's Passport 15000 will work as an edge switch, a backbone for existing Passport 6000 and 7000 switches or a core backbone switch that supports high-speed ATM services directly, said Denise Kisch, senior manager of product marketing.

Expected to roll out in the second quarter of 1999, the 15000 initially will support native ATM on DS-3 (44.7 Mb/s), OC-3c (155.5 Mb/s) and OC-12c (622 Mb/s) interfaces. By the end of 1999, the switch will support multiple services, including frame relay, Internet protocol and voice, as well as high-capacity interfaces up to OC-48c/STM-16 (2.4 Gb/s).

"The fact that the Passport 15000 will support ATM as well as frame relay [and] IP circuit emulation for voice service means that carriers can purchase one platform and deploy all those services. It's more cost-efficient and easier to manage and operate," Kisch said.

Capacity will grow, too. "To deal with the huge increase in demand for data services, the 15000 will scale from 40 to 160 Gb and beyond to the terabit level," Kisch said.

The Nortel edge/core switch is not unique, but Nortel needed to have a box in that space, said Cathy Gadecki, director of consulting for TeleChoice. "It's great for service providers to have a choice," she said. "From the carrier perspective, it's much easier to work with one vendor, and not have to go through all the interoperability [issues.]"