Ekinops unveils optical option for DSLAM, 3G backhauling

AUGUST 28, 2006 -- Ekinops (search for Ekinops) has developed a new version of its PM 1008 for backhauling DSLAMs and 3G networks. The new system, available now, accommodates both Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and ATM traffic, enabling the new product to work with both emerging and legacy DSLAM equipment.

According to Jonathan Amir, vice president of sales for the Americas, the new version of the 1008, called the PM 1008 DC, also adds add/drop (ADM) functionality to what was essentially a point-to-point platform. Both versions of the 1008 will be offered for sale, Amir said.

The DC stands for "daisy chain," also a new capability for the system. Multiple versions of the 1008 DC can be linked together in a daisy chain to create rings; with the ADM capability, signals can be added and dropped at any site in the chain.

The new system offers both aggregation and transport of DSLAM or 3G network traffic, although Amir predicts the DSLAM opportunity will be greater. This opportunity has arisen as carriers deploy new DSLAMs to support emerging high-bandwidth services such as IPTV and video on demand (VOD). Carriers increasingly are turning to new DSLAMs that are Ethernet-enabled for these requirements; however, ATM-based equipment with SONET/SDH network-side interfaces remains in the field. Thus, carriers need aggregation and transport systems that can handle multiple protocols, Amir says.

The main optical backhaul approaches today, claims Amir, include leasing capacity or using SONET/SDH ADMs, WDM systems, or 10-Gigabit Ethernet switches. The lease option can be expensive; SONET/SDH, particularly legacy gear, has well-discussed efficiency issues when it comes to Ethernet transport; WDM systems require a dedicated wavelength for each service type; and 10-Gigabit Ethernet switches require conversion of legacy ATM and SONET/SDH traffic.

The PM 2008 DC overcomes these issues by handling multiple protocols, then using WDM where necessary. The system uses TDM to aggregate a combination of multiple GbE, OC-3/STM-1, and OC-12/STM-4 signals over one OC-192/STM-64 wavelength. It can then employ WDM to multiplex wavelengths on one fiber. Each wavelength on the network can aggregate multiple, different protocols including GbE, Fast Ethernet, Fibre Channel, OC-3/STM-1, OC-12/STM-4, OC-48/STM-16, and OC-192/STM-64.

The combination of TDM-based aggregation, plus the ability to add single wavelengths as needed and only when needed by adding a new line card, reduces the number of wavelengths in the network and lowers cost, Amir states.

Amir says the product was developed in response to RFPs outlining multi-protocol requirements. He says that the majority of this activity is in Europe, where carriers currently have more interest in supporting IPTV and VOD via DSLAMs than their compatriots in the United States. However, Amir reports that there is U.S. interest in a system such as the PM 1008 DC.

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