Re: FR Packet Alternatives

[jma2@erinet.com (Jim Armstrong)]

  Bob <tronic@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
  >You make true comments - in the present context.  However, there are viable
  technologies
  >such as DDOV; or a more useful implementation of the ISDN TDM approach; or
  >whatever eventually happens with ADSL, which can provide (at cost comparable to
  >current ISDN TAs and associated equipment), digital bandwidth to the CO
  >(up to several megabits/sec with ADSL), while also providing voice service ala
  >ISDN (if desired).  Using such an implementation, the local loop becomes 
  >"virtual" in nature.  The most significant cost to the LEC, the last mile, 
  >disappears from the cost equation (since it would presumably be the same copper
  >you would have for voice service anyhow).  Then it's only a question of
  >terminating equipment/maintenance and FR carrier costs. ??  What do ya think?
  
  I havent had experience with DOV since the late 80/early 90's nytel Info Net
  (or whatever).  At that time, however, they were limited to 19.2kbps and not
  compatible with isdn lines (carrier cross-interference).
  Also the main problem with dov/infonet was that all support and trouble
  isolation had to be guided by 3rd party service or the customer in order to
  get problems resolved in any reasonable time... the "shift-duty tech's"
  hadn't a clue... 
  When you consider that this (internal technical knowledge gap) is the major
  service complaint about ISDN to this day, I'm not holding my breath for all
  the problems to go away with adsl or any other technology.
  
  You ARE correct in that the best data network access paradigm, for now,
  WOULD be Frame isdn packet... but... it's taken the telco a full decade to
  get around to realizing the marketability of switched circuit. 
   I know, I was there the whole time... pleading, bitching, cajoling.... no
  matter, they (NYNEX especially) kept telling me the market interest was in
  packet switching [ergo >INFONET< plus they didn't know how to tariff high
  speed data on demand.... guess they still dont<G>]
  So I don't expect phoneco to start connecting frads to TE anytime soon.
  
  SMDS (multimegabit Services) are far from cheap, by the way.   The problems
  we face now in anticipating better, faster, cheaper services are keeping in
  touch with reality.  
  Some folks seem to think that a connection through a non-blocking switch
  doesn't bear an incremental cost... that is simply not true.  The capacity
  costs and is paid for at some time or other. 
  Example: one of the truisms of Network operation is that the actual data
  transport is costing less and less while the management costs (per kb) are
  increasing exponentially.
  At some point in time... networks will have to be altered so that status and
  management data can be transported "out-of-band" like voice call data (SS7)
  is today. That will require more than just ATM implementation for the
  internet backbone.
  
  BTW - "last mile costs"-
  1) With BRI the voice/data transport over the same wire already exists; with
  more efficiency than a DOV... 
  2) I expect the "last mile" to become less and less a costing issue over the
  next few years... Since other non-data (cable tv, video dialtone) services
  are mandating a major plant improvement, the LEC's are not going to have
  plant suitability and overhaul costs as an issue much longer.
  
  Jim A