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As new technologies and products become available, carriers compete to provide leading edge services for their customers at reasonable prices. The telecommunications industry has reached the point where organizations are demanding high-speed Ethernet access over LANs and MANs (Local and Metropolitan Area Networks). Traditionally, copper cable and multi-mode fiber limited the implementation of Ethernet to buildings and campuses. The arrival of single-mode fiber Ethernet ports now makes it practical to move Ethernet data over Metropolitan Area distances. A common expectation—and a quite reasonable one—is
that high-speed (100Mb/s) telecommunications services are available and will provide the reliability that the US telephone system is known for maintaining. The obstacle that carriers’ face is finding a way to implement and offer networking service options at affordable prices.
VNOC Space Inc., is a leading provider of an array of communications and colocation services to businesses in parts of Florida. In addition to providing innovative solutions and a variety of network and COLO products, VNOC Space looks for cost-effective ways to enhance their services, such as providing
MAN access to our customers Site to Rack. Data traffic equipment options have been readily available
to build out these Metropolitan Area Networks, but it has been very costly. The high cost OC3-based MAN used routers to convert traffic at each network connection point. Typically, an ATM multiplexer was in the Central Office connecting several OC3 lines. These OC3s terminate with routers at the customer premise. Then, these premises’ routers convert data from ATM to Ethernet TCP/IP. Finally, copper
cabling extends out to users via hubs and switches in the local area network. This type of network would require significant capital equipment investment because of the high router costs at each site. Routers capable of 100+ Mb speeds are expensive (about $15-$25K per customer site), consequently
they add significant costs to the network facilities.
The cost-efficient solution is provided by Bell South and our product TLS (Transparent LAN Service) that provides the bandwidth for up to 100Mb Ethernet traffic without protocol conversion, as well as the security, QOS and high availability of a phone line. By placing a multi-gigabit ATM Router in a central office, dark fiber to customer premises can be “lit up” and the customers will have the high speed of a 100Mb single mode fiber link—without an expensive local router. Customer premises can essentially be “daisy-chained” and connected to your Racks in our COLO facilities and other MAN sites via VLANS.
Further, the CO and its router are not always a requirement for the Ethernet communication link between customer sites. The CO SWITCH, typically used to communicate to the external
nodes such as the COLO site, may be point to point connected by directly connecting fiber cables. With this type of architecture, metro Ethernet networks become more feasible for organizations with one or several metropolitan area locations
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