EoC and EoTDM Complement Fiber

Traditional telecom services have large bandwidth gaps in service levels, especially when you compare what is available for smaller businesses and what the large corporations install. You may be slogging along at T1 lines rates of 1.5 Mbps, while the big corporate campus across the street has 100x to 1000x the bandwidth. It’s the difference between copper and fiber, or at least it used to be that way.

Newer technologies, namely Ethernet over Copper (EoC) and Ethernet over TDM (EoTDM), have expanded the range of bandwidths supported on already installed copper infrastructure. It’s now a smooth scale of steps between T1 and Gigabit or higher speeds.

Integra Telecom is one competitive carrier who has embraced the concept of augmenting their fiber optic network with Ethernet copper-based solutions. Integra is a major telecom services provider in eleven states, primarily in the Western US. Their 10 Gbps IP fiber backbone connects major cities throughout these states and also to Chicago, New York, Dallas and Ashburn, Virginia. It totals 5,000 miles of long haul and 3,000 miles of metro fiber.

From there, Integra is aggressively lighting new buildings for fiber service. Just during the first half of 2011, they had expanded their lit buildings by 20 percent or 300 new buildings. Even the most casual observer can see that fiber-based bandwidth is the future. Business automation, cloud connections and video transport are gobbling up Mbps and Gbps about as fast as they are deployed. But what do you do in economically constrained times to provide higher bandwidth levels to every business that needs them?

The answer is a two-pronged approach of complementing fiber network resources with copper-based last mile connections. Traditionally, this has meant T1 lines with DSL as a low end option. T1 provides excellent availability and rock solid bandwidth, albeit at 1.5 Mbps. Many businesses get around this limitation by installing multiple T1 lines bonded together to double or triple the bandwidth. This is a solid technical approach, but the upper limit is typically around 10 or 12 Mbps and the cost is a simple multiple of T1 cost times number of bonded lines.

Another hitch is that most competitive metro and wide area networks are now IP based. Previously the public switched telephone network was dominant using telco standards like TDM for digital transmission. Businesses today have IP networks in-house and often wish to connect them to other IP networks through Ethernet services such as E-Line and E-LAN. It would be ideal to keep everything on IP networks.

Integra Telecom recognizes this and bases their fiber/copper strategy on IP standards. The core network is already IP for metro and long haul connections. Where copper connections are needed, they are made using Ethernet over Copper or Ethernet over TDM.

The copper involved is the very same twisted pair copper that is already installed into nearly every business for multi-line telephone service and T1 data lines. That pretty much guarantees that businesses in the service footprint can get connected to the network one way or the other. Ethernet over Copper uses specialized equipment and multiple copper loops to deliver Ethernet bandwidth from the fiber network to the business LAN. Ethernet over TDM is similar, but uses T1 line technology to transport the Ethernet signal.

Why EoTDM? One tradeoff with EoC is that you can get a very wide range of bandwidths but over a limited distance. The closer you are to the central office that connects to your copper telco lines, the higher the EoC speeds available. EoTDM is not distance limited. T1 technology was designed for extended distances experienced by some customers who are located in smaller or more rural population areas. Integra has installed EoC equipment in 120 COs and EoTDM in nearly 300 COs throughout their Western service area.

Are you ready to move up to higher bandwidth levels, but stymied because you’ve been told there’s no fiber available? That may be old information, as carriers are aggressively building out their fiber assets. Even if fiber is not an option, you may be able to get bandwidth from 2 or 3 Mbps to over 100 Mbps on copper based connections to the fiber backbone. Check prices and availability of copper and fiber network services for your particular business locations.

Covad and ADTRAN Make Everything Ethernet

The age of Carrier Ethernet is upon us. All the excitement these days is directed at IP core networks and Ethernet access solutions. So, does that mean that legacy TDM services must be abandoned in place? Not at all. With the right equipment, DS1 and DS3 circuits can be repurposed for Ethernet transport. Carrier Covad and equipment maker ADTRAN are doing just that.

Covad is now deploying ADTRAN central office and network termination equipment to expand their Ethernet service area. Covad currently serves 44 states and 235 major markets with a core network that spans the nation. Their specialties have included business DSL, data T1, high bandwidth fixed wireless, bonded T1, and integrated voice and data with SIP, PRI and analog handoff. All of these are designed to serve the small and medium size business market. Ethernet is a natural addition to the Covad portfolio.

What’s special about the ADTRAN Carrier Ethernet solutions? It’s that they can pretty much press any existing line service into transporting Ethernet from the service provider to the end user. A service aggregation unit is installed at the central office to connect with the carrier’s Metro Ethernet and IP Core networks. For Covad, this is the Total Access 5000 MSAP (Multi-Service Access Platform). The aggregation unit brings in GigE or 10 GigE carrier bandwidth connections and apportions it to subscribers.

What makes this system so flexible is that the transport from CO to subscriber can be any of the common circuits already in place. These include DS3 and bonded DS3 bandwidth, T1 and bonded T1 lines, e.SHDSL bonded pairs. DS3 and T1 (DS1) are legacy service that are been used by many businesses for years. Ethernet over TDM or EoTDM allows service provider to keep those circuits in place and use them to provide Metro Ethernet or Carrier Ethernet services over an extensive area.

EoC or Ethernet over Copper has become very popular recently because it offers higher bandwidths and lower prices than traditional digital line services. The e.SHDSL technology can boost speed to 5.7 Mbps per e.SHDSL loop compared to 1.5 Mbps for T1. However, this is a distance limited technology that is typically extends no further than 9 km from the carrier’s point of presence.

An appropriate network termination unit is installed at the customer location. The companion product is the NetVanta 800 Series. These are configured for 2, 4, or 8 bonded e.SHDSL pairs, up to 3 bonded DS3 circuits for a maximum of 134 Mbps, or 2, 4 or 8 four-wire T1/E1 loops. In many cases, bonding multiple copper pair can bring in the bandwidth needed by businesses without the high cost of pulling-in fiber optic cable for a new installation. In many cases, fiber isn’t available nearby and isn’t really an option. Even so, 10 or 12 Mbps and up to 45 Mbps over existing copper wiring offers the requisite bandwidth at very reasonable costs.

Is your business straining at the limit of your current T1 line or dissatisfied with business DSL service? If so, you may find that Ethernet service from Covad and other top carriers is just what you need. Why not find out how much bandwidth you can get for your telecom dollar? It takes just a second to inquire and a knowledgeable consultant will be in contact quickly with prices and install times. Inquire about Carrier Ethernet for your business now.