Zhone debuts FiberSLAM

APRIL 30, 2007 -- Zhone Technologies Inc. (search for Zhone Technologies) today announced FiberSLAM, which it claims is the industry's first hybrid access system to integrate Coarse/Dense WDM (C/DWDM), Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), and Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) into a single, carrier-grade, 1RU environmentally hardened platform.

Uniquely suited for carrier remote terminal (RT) and cell tower installations, FiberSLAM brings ultra high-speed optics closer to the subscriber premise, say company representatives. Fiber optimization of the access network enables carriers to meet immense capacity demands for mobile and enterprise services while driving down costs of delivering quality-of-service (QoS) sensitive media and other FTTx services. 

Designed specifically for today's hybrid network infrastructures, FiberSLAM is based on Zhone's Single Line Multi-Service (SLMS) architecture, ensuring service providers a practical and seamless migration from TDM (E1/T1 and DS3) to all-Ethernet (GbE) networks, says Zhone. Since WDM supports dedicated channel delivery, it serves as an ideal convergence medium, ensuring security, QoS, and scaleable bandwidth capacity on an invest-as-you-grow basis. 

"With a 1RU form factor, Zhone is one of the first companies to support WDM provisioning from the RT," reports Jason Marcheck, principal analyst of optical infrastructure at Current Analysis. "As triple-play services continue to evolve to require more bandwidth to the subscriber premise, the ability to carry a mix of traffic over WDM channels will become increasingly important in the access network. Given Zhone's strength as a broadband access company," he says, "the FiberSLAM platform is well positioned as an extension of the company's core competencies."

Delivery of Ethernet mobile services, fiber-fed mobile stations, and increasing demand for quality sensitive entertainment media are putting tremendous strains on access capacity. Provisioning HDTV alone requires five times the bandwidth of standard broadcast service, say Zhone representatives. Data subscriber rates need to increase exponentially to support mass provisioning of premium fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) services. The search for ways to bring core capacity closer to the subscriber premise is active and ongoing. This involves a migration away from fixed-rate TDM service in favor of the flexibility and operational efficiency of Ethernet transport. However, the existing installed base of SONET/SDH is even with Ethernet; operators are constrained by massive investments in SONET/SDH and the TDM legacy.

FiberSLAM provides operators a smooth migration path from TDM to Ethernet while introducing what Zhone calls "unmatched capacity, scalability, and agility" into the access network. By bringing wavelength services closer to the subscriber premise, operators can guarantee capacity on-demand for high-intensity Fx media, campus enterprise environments, and mobile backhaul services. With FiberSLAM, network operators realize greater operational efficiencies, delivering targeted multi-GbE wavelength services only to nodes requiring increased bandwidth.

"FiberSLAM came pre-programmed so installation was complete in minutes," recalls Tommy Smith, executive network administrator for Central Texas Telephone, which has selected FibeSLAM for mobile backhaul services. Central Texas later rolled out installations from RTs between subsidiary central offices. "FiberSLAM provides network efficiencies across-the-board," says Smith. "The single rack unit saves us power and space while ensuring scalability for future services."

According to the company, FiberSLAM provides the industry's only Multi-Gigabit Ethernet/TDM hybrid platform designed specifically for the access network. Multiple wavelength support provides expansion only when required, lowering the cost of entry while maintaining flexibility.

FiberSLAM 101 and 105 provide a single channel or five dedicated channels of wavelength services. Features include:

1RU form factor: Environmentally hardened for carrier class RT installations.   

Superior network agility: Flexible filter options allow the same chassis to be deployed in point to point, protected, and 1310 sideband applications through the addition of the field upgradeable module.

Targeted bandwidth for high capacity services: Supports 2 x GbE and 2 x 10/100 ports for high-speed Ethernet data expansion with alien wavelength support for up to 40 GbE. TDM interface support for 16 T1/E1 and 3 DS3/E3 channels.

SFP architecture: Built to support short reach, long reach, bi-directional single fiber, CWDM and DWDM SFP modules meet whatever deployment requirements arise.

ZMS: Zhone's full-featured management system includes a complete FCAPS implementation with fault, configuration, administration, performance, and security for intelligent traffic monitoring of QoS sensitive services.Visit Zhone Technologies Inc.