9 July 2003 Livermore, CA Lightwave -- Passive optical network (PON) manufacturer Alloptic Inc. has been awarded a key patent for transporting legacy time division multiplexing (TDM) services over Ethernet-based PONs (EPON). Central Texas Technologies, a service provider based in Austin, TX, is one of the customers using the Alloptic equipment to cost effectively deliver TDM-based voice over a Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTP) system.
U.S. Patent 6,470,032, System and Method for Synchronizing Telecom-Related Clocks in Ethernet-based Passive Optical Networks, enables service providers to seamlessly connect Ethernet-based optical access systems to their existing core telephony networks, explain Alloptic representatives. Ethernet-based systems are inherently asynchronous because of variable packet sizes. The Alloptic solution fully synchronizes both ends of the system for reliable TDM voice transmission with minimal latency and jitter.
"With this critically important new patent, we once again break new ground in Ethernet-based passive optical networking," contends Tom Warner, vice president of engineering for Alloptic. "From the beginning, our objective has been to support true, 'golden telephony' services with the stringent quality of service [QoS] that service providers and their customers have come to expect from telephony networks."
"Alloptic's ability to transport TDM over an Ethernet-based PON was very important in our decision to choose their solution for our network," adds Rick Martin, vice president of networks for Central Texas Technologies L.P. "Most businesses lease TDM circuits from carriers for their wide-area connections, and Alloptic makes it easy to deliver them without the high cost of ATM-based systems."