Broadband Briefs 2011

1
Broadband access: Briefing paper
This paper presents an executive summary of the various forms of broadband access which the e-NC
Authority has evaluated in order to recommend the appropriate mix of solutions that best suits the specific
needs of North Carolinas rural service areas. The paper also addresses the principles of the e-NC
Authority broadband initiatives, rationale for broadband access and cost models of the access alternatives.
(If reproducing, please credit the e-NC Authority 2001-2011.)
Author: e-NC Authority Technical Committee

Date:
October, 2011
Broadband Principles
PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE DEPLOYMENT (Position of the e-NC Authority Board)
The following principles have emerged as best practices in an effort to ensure that all North Carolina
citizens and businesses have access and the capacity to utilize broadband Internet to secure a better future.
These principles should continue to guide the policies, programs and practices of the e-NC Authority and
the State of North Carolina as they act to sustain progress already made.
Ubiquitous Broadband: The state of North Carolina must commit to ubiquitous broadband to enable the
technology-based economic development that will create the sort of jobs and business opportunities
necessary for North Carolina to be competitive in the global economy.
Inclusiveness: All populations, regardless of age or income, must have equal access to opportunities
brought about by broadband Internet and ICT (information and communication technologies).
Commitment to Competitive Infrastructure: Currently-deployed infrastructure will only suffice for a
short term. The state of North Carolina must support high-capacity deployment while understanding the
need to utilize what is currently available. The need for provisioning of competitive broadband service
should be met by the private sector. However, local governments should have the right to offer broadband
services when the service available does not meet the needs of the local community. The State of North
Carolina should make no restriction to the provision of broadband by any nonprofit or local governments.
Expansive Use of Broadband and Adaptability: Broadband demand can be driven by many different
requirements. The market will accept and support innovative deployment options that are flexible in using
various technologies. The technology that best equips the community to compete in a global marketplace,
in a sustainable manner, will be given preference.
Cross-Sector Collaboration: Public, private and non-profit organizations can work together with
communities to bring about faster deployment of broadband infrastructure and adoption of high-value
applications.
Digital Literacy: In order for broadband adoption to be a success in North Carolinas economy, our
citizen workforce, children, seniors and business owners must benefit from a strong educational effort
about the use of new technologies and applications.
Leverage the Power of Youth: Young people are particularly potent change agents that should be
enlisted to assist their local communities in moving toward adoption of computer technology and the
Internet.
Grassroots Empowerment: Communities can and should organize themselves to ensure that broadband
infrastructure is deployed for their citizens.
Constant Improvement through Accountability: A special focus should be made on rigorous metrics
so that we can determine the most effective policies that will drive broadband deployment and adoption of
services by citizens and businesses.
Data Collection: Complete, accurate, verifiable and timely coverage data from all telecommunications
providers-based on the FCC broadband tier definitions-is essential for determining North Carolinas
communities that need special attention to achieve broadband infrastructure goals.
The principles above are part of North Carolinas strategic Internet plan. The full report can be found at
http://e-nc.org/broadband-101/e-nc-publications.
High-Speed vs. Broadband
In 2008, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revised their definition and usage of
broadband to include these speed tiers. By legislative mandate, the e-NC Authority must follow the
FCC definition of Internet connectivity speeds.
1st Generation Data
200 kbps to 768 kbps
Basic Broadband Tier 1
768 kbps to 1.5 Mbps
Broadband Tier 2
1.5 to 3 Mbps
Broadband Tier 3
3 to 6 Mbps
Broadband Tier 4
6 to 10 Mbps
Broadband Tier 5
10 to 25 Mbps
Broadband Tier 6
25 to 100 Mbps
Broadband Tier 7
Greater than 100 Mbps
* As of October 2011, the FCCs official definition of Broadband requires 4Mbps downstream and
1Mbps upstream. The tiers above are still used for data collection purposes.
Broadband Access
Converged networks of integrating telephony, data and cable TV with a single method of broadband
access capabilities opens up the market for the transmission and exchange of multimedia, entertainment,
and information to the home. There are many competing visions of what future architecture
telecommunications will look like. It is, however, very clear that future networks will be broadband in
their access capabilities.
There are several competing broadband access technologies for the last mile. In most instances, each was
specifically developed to address a specific market segment. The Consumer and Governmental Affairs
Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provides the following information about
Broadband Access. Following this section are diagrams of these and other Broadband technologies.
What Is Broadband?
Broadband or high-speed Internet access allows users to access the Internet and Internet-related services
at significantly higher speeds than those available through dial-up Internet access services. Broadband
speeds vary significantly depending on the particular type and level of service and may range from as low
as 768 kilobits per second (kbps), or 768,000 bits per second, to six megabits per second (Mbps), or
6,000,000 bits per second. Some recent offerings even include 50Mbps to 1 Gbps (1Gbps = 1000 Mbps).
Broadband services for residential consumers typically provide faster downstream speeds (from the
Internet to your computer) than upstream speeds (from your computer to the Internet).
How Does Broadband Work?
Broadband allows users to access information via the Internet using one of several high-speed
transmission technologies. Transmission is digital, meaning that text, images, and sound are all
transmitted as bits of data. The transmission technologies that make broadband possible move these bits
much more quickly than traditional telephone or wireless connections, including traditional dial-up
Internet access connections.
Once you have a broadband connection to your home or business, devices such as computers can be
attached to this broadband connection by existing electrical or telephone wiring, coaxial cable, or wireless
devices.
What Are The Advantages of Broadband?
Broadband allows you to take advantage of new services not available or not convenient to use with a
dial-up Internet connection. One such service is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), an alternative to
traditional voice telephone service, which may be less costly for you depending on your calling patterns.
Some VoIP services only allow you to call other people using the same service, but others allow you to
call anyone who has a telephone number including local, long distance, mobile, and international
numbers.
Broadband makes telemedicine possible: patients in rural areas can confer online with medical
specialists in more urban areas and share information and test results very quickly.
Broadband helps you to efficiently access and use many reference and cultural resources, such as library
and museum databases and online collections. You also need broadband to best take advantage of many
distance learning opportunities, like online college or university courses, and continuing or senior
education programs. Broadband is an important tool for expanding educational and economic
opportunities for consumers in remote locations.
In addition to these services, broadband allows you to shop on-line and Web surf more quickly and
efficiently. Downloading and viewing videos and photos on your computer are much faster and easier.
With broadband you can access the Internet without needing to dial up your Internet Service Provider
(ISP) over a telephone line, which permits you to use the Internet without tying up your telephone line. As
of December 2008, more than 100 million broadband connections were deployed in the United States.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-296239A1.pdf
What are some of the lesser known uses for and advantages of Broadband?
Broadband offers cost savings and increased productivity in a number of unique ways:
Telecommuting - Saves time, money, and increases productivity. Full-time telecommuters can
have a lower carbon footprint. Rural telecommuters can help bring urban dollars into rural
communities.
Cell Phone - Though we may take cell service for granted, there are still many areas with
insufficient cellular coverage. Major carriers are now offering microcells, picocells, and
femtocells; all of which allow the use of a broadband connection to provide a small radius of
cellular signal.
Hardware and data consolidation Using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), Terminal Services,
and other remote access technologies can allow businesses to utilize a single set of servers and
databases from multiple locations, lowering hardware and software costs.
Remote video surveillance The availability of Internet accessible cameras and DVRs allows for
inexpensive remote surveillance and in most cases historical playback.
Computer based manufacturing and monitoring The ability to transfer electronic designs to
remote manufacturing facilities, remote monitoring, and remote diagnostics allow for lower cost
manufacturing.
Fund raising New trends like crowd-sourcing and micro-lending can help entrepreneurs start a
new business with nothing more than a computer and a broadband connection.
What Types of Broadband Are Available?

Broadband can be provided over different platforms, including:
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL);

Cable Modem;
Fiber-Optic Cable (Fiber);
Mobile Wireless;
Fixed Wireless;
Satellite; and
Broadband over Powerline (BPL).*
*Note that technical issues have hindered BPL deployments, and this technology is currently available
only in very limited areas. The new BPL standard IEEE 1901-2010 may drive an increase in
availability.The broadband technology you choose will depend on a number of factors. These factors
include how broadband Internet access is packaged with other services (e.g. voice telephone and home
entertainment), price, and service availability.
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

DSL is a wireline transmission technology that transmits data faster over traditional copper telephone
lines already installed to homes and businesses. DSL-based broadband provides transmission speeds
ranging from several hundred Kbps to millions of bits per second. The availability and speed of your DSL
service may depend on the distance from your home or business to the closest telephone company facility.
The following are types of DSL transmission technologies:
Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) used primarily by residential customers, such
as Internet surfers, who receive a lot of data but do not send much. ADSL typically provides faster
speed in the downstream direction than the upstream direction. ADSL allows faster downstream
data transmission over the same line used to provide voice service, without disrupting regular
telephone calls on that line.
Symmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL) used typically by businesses for services such as
video conferencing. Downstream and upstream traffic speeds are equal. Very-high-data-rate
Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL) used by customers within 4,000 feet of a VDSL-capable
DSLAM (DSL Access Multiplexer). VDSL provides the very high speed and robust connectivity
needed for the provisioning of triple-play services that include voice, video, and Internet over a
single connection.
Cable Modem
Cable modem service enables cable operators to provide broadband using the same coaxial cables that
deliver pictures and sound to your TV set.
Most cable modems are external devices that have two connections, one to the cable wall outlet and the
other to a computer. They provide transmission speeds of 1.5 Mbps or more.
You can still watch cable TV while using a cable modem service. Transmission speeds vary depending on
the type of cable modem, cable network, and traffic load. Speeds are generally faster than DSL. The
advent of the DOCSIS 3.0 protocol has allowed cable operators to begin providing service with download
speeds of up to 160Mbps and upload speeds of up to 120Mbps.
Fiber-Optic Cable (Fiber)
Fiber optic technology converts electrical signals to light and sends that light through transparent glass
fibers about the diameter of a human hair. Fiber transmits data at speeds far exceeding current DSL or
cable modem speeds, typically by tens or even hundreds of Mbps. The actual speed you experience,
however, will vary depending upon a variety of factors, such as how close to your computer the service
provider brings the fiber and how the service provider configures the service, including the amount of
bandwidth used. The same fiber providing your broadband can also simultaneously deliver voice (VoIP)
and video services, including video-on-demand.
Most large network operators are offering fiber-based broadband in limited areas, expanding their fiber
networks, and, in many cases, providing bundled voice, Internet access, and video services.
Wireless
Wireless broadband can be mobile or fixed. Wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) is a fixed, short-range technology
that is often used in conjunction with DSL or cable modem service to connect devices within a home or
business to the Internet. Wi-Fi connects a home or business to the Internet using a radio link between the
customers location and the service providers facility. This fixed wireless broadband service is becoming
more and more widely available at airports, city parks, bookstores, and other public locations called
hotspots.
Fixed wireless technologies using longer range directional equipment can provide broadband service in
remote or sparsely populated areas where other types of broadband would be too costly to provide. Speeds
are generally comparable to DSL and cable modem service speeds. An external antenna is usually
required. With newer services (such as WiMax) now being deployed, a small antenna located inside a
home near a window is usually adequate, and higher speeds are possible. Depending on the technology
deployed, fixed wireless Internet requires line-of-site (LoS) or near-line-of-site (NLoS). LoS means that
there must be an unobstructed view between the transmitter and the receiver, where the transmitter is
generally on a tower or tall structure and the receiver is on the private residence or business. Trees,
structures, and topography can all obstruct LoS and prevent service from being available. When LoS is
available, residences can connect to transmitters as far as 24 miles away. NLoS allows for some
obstructions between the transmitter and the receiver, but the more obstructions are present, the closer one
must be to the transmitter in order to get service. Those with moderate obstructions, such as trees or
buildings, can generally connect to a tower as far as 5 miles away. NLoS equipment enjoys greater range
when an unobstructed view is present.
Mobile wireless broadband services, such as 3G, 4G* and LTE, are also becoming available from mobile
telephone service providers, such as cell phone companies, and others. These services generally require a
special card with a built in antenna that plugs into a users laptop computer. Smartphones, mobile
broadband personal hotspots and MiFi devices can also be used to gain access to mobile broadband.
Generally, 3G mobile broadband provides lower speeds, in the range of several hundred Kbps. Though
most post-3G offerings do not meet the speed requirements of the official 4G specification, network
providers may advertise their networks as 4G, as long as those networks provide a significant speed
improvement over 3G offerings. Long Term Evolution (LTE) is an example of post-3G technology that is
not yet capable of the speeds officially defined for the 4G specification but can be advertised as 4G. Some
providers are also deploying WiMax for mobile broadband. These new technologies offer download
speeds as high as 30Mbps and can, in some cases, serve as a viable replacement for residential broadband.
A large number of mobile broadband users connecting through a single cell tower may create capacity
issues and result in degraded performance.
Satellite
Just as satellites orbiting the earth provide necessary links for telephone and television service, they can
also provide links for broadband services. Satellite broadband is another form of wireless broadband and
is particularly useful for serving remote or sparsely populated areas.
Downstream and upstream speeds for satellite broadband depend on several factors, including the
provider and service package purchased, the consumers line of sight to the orbiting satellite, and the
weather. Satellite service can be disrupted in severe weather conditions or heavy cloud cover. Typically a
consumer can expect to receive (download) at a speed of about 1 Mbps and send (upload) at a speed of
about 200 kbps. These speeds may be slower than DSL and cable modem, but the download speed is still
much faster than the download speed of dial-up Internet access for most applications. While satellitebased broadband can provide fast download speeds, there are limitations that should be considered before
investing in a new satellite Internet installation.
Latency This is a measure of the time it takes for a request to reach its destination and then for a
response to be received. Latency is measured is milliseconds (ms). Satellite-based Internet access
generally suffers from high latency (greater than 200 ms on average). In contrast, dial-up is narrow
band but low latency (less than 100ms on average). Fiber optic, cable, and DSL are all broadband
and very low latency (less than 50ms on average). The result is that applications that require a
single request for a large amount of data, such as watching a video, may perform reasonably well
via satellite, whereas applications that involve many requests that require rapid responses, such as
video games, will perform poorly or not function at all.
Rain fade Internet via satellite suffers from a similar limitation as satellite television, which is
rain fade, or reduced performance or availability during times of heavy precipitation or thick cloud
cover. Outages under these types of weather conditions are unavoidable but are also temporary in
nature.
Data limits There is only so much room for equipment onboard satellites, and adding capacity
can be very costly, therefore satellite Internet providers must conserve their available capacity in
order to serve the most possible customers. Many satellite providers implement daily transfer
limits. While the amount of data allowed for a single 24-hour period varies, a limit of 250MB per
day is not unusual. These limits mean that while watching streaming video or other bandwidth
intensive activities may be technically possible via satellite, there are limits to how much of these
types of media users will be able to consume in a single day. This limitation often precludes
satellite Internet users from participating in distance learning and other Internet-based activities
that non-satellite users often take for granted. When limits are reached, some providers cut off
service for the remainder of the 24-hour period, while others throttle the available bandwidth back
to speeds similar to dial-up.
Cost
Obtaining satellite broadband can be more costly and involved than obtaining DSL or cable modem. A
user must have:
A two or three foot dish or base station the most costly item;
A satellite Internet modem; and
A clear line of sight to the providers satellite.
Broadband over Powerline (BPL)

BPL delivers broadband over the existing low and medium voltage electric power distribution network.
BPL speeds are comparable to DSL and cable modem speeds. BPL can be provided to homes using
existing electrical connections and outlets.
BPL has suffered as a result of technical challenges, such as the introduction of radio interference, and is
currently available only in very limited areas. It has significant potential because power lines are installed
virtually everywhere, alleviating the need to build new broadband facilities to every customer.
To find out if BPL is available to your home, contact your electric utility or your states public service
commission. You can also visit the following Web site to obtain a list of BPL providers:
www.bpldatabase.org.
BPL is not the only option that electric companies and cooperatives have to provide broadband access.
Many electric companies are deploying fiber optics alongside their power lines for managing the grid,
and, in a number of cases, to provide last mile broadband access to residences and community anchor
institutions.
References:
Some material in this section was taken directly from the website for the Consumer and Governmental
Affairs Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission; other information was obtained from
technology providers. To find out if any of these services are avaiable in your area, consult the North
Carolina Broadband Map located at http://e-ncbroadband.org. For areas outside of North Carolina, consult
the National Broadband Map at http://broadbandmap.gov
ITU along with Merrill Lynch evaluated the most popular broadband access technologies as shown in the table below:
Table 1
Technology
ADSL
Asymmetric Digital
Subscriber Line
VDSL
Very High Rate Digital
Subscriber Line
Definition
Transmission of voice and
data over copper
Bandwidth
Transmission of video,
voice and data over copper
Advantages
Up to 8 Mbit/s
downstream
Up to 1.5 Mbit/s
upstream
Up to 52 Mbit/s
downstream & 6.4
Mbps upstream
Makes full use of existing

copper
Limited video capability
Distance limitation
Ideal for web-browsing
Limited upstream bandwidth
Good platform for voice
Supports broadcast video,

Video-on-demand, Internet
TV, and interactive TV
Offers always-on network
for voice, video, and data
Fast time-to-market
Point-to-multipoint cells
have limited geographical
area
For MMDS, State owned

ITFS license
Supports broadcast video,

Video-on-demand, Internet
TV, and interactive TV,
HDTV
Ubiquitous
Support voice and high
speed Internet data
Voice requires special

engineering
Difficult to guarantee speed,
but can with monitoring
High cost of upgrades and
build-outs
Dial up only
Not scalable
Ubiquitous
Support high speed
Internet data
Always On
Supports broadcast, voice

video, Video-on-demand,
cable TV, HDTV, and
quality interactive TV
Always-on
Was the first passive
optical network standard
Microwave multipoint
fixed services
HFC
Hybrid Fiber/Coax
DOCSIS 3.0 protocol
Microwave transmission
of video and data
Point-to-point or point-tomultipoint
voice, and data over
coaxial and fiber cable
Cable modem
ISDN
IDSL
Typical speed of up
to 1.5 Mbps
downstream and
256 Kbps upstream
Up to 160Mbps
downstream
Up to 120 Mbps
upstream
Transmission of voice
and data over copper
For residents, using

BRI of 128 Kbps
symmetrical and PRI
up to 1.5 Mbps for
businesses
Transmission of data over

copper
144 Kbps
symmetrical for
resident
voice and data over
fiber
155/622 Mbps
downstream
155 Mbps upstream
voice and data over
fiber
APON
GPON
2.5 Gbps
downstream
1.25 Gbps Upstream
Disadvantages
e-NC Authority
Comments
Best suited for clients who are

ADSL capable and in proximity to
carrier DSL equipment
Cost friendly
Requires short distance

Non-standard products and
technology
Limited scalability
Limited but expanding availability
Needs line of sight to

complete transmission
LMDS with reach of 5 mile radius
MMDS reach is 35 mile radius
Unlicensed technologies with

reach of up to 25 miles with clear
Line of Sight or 3 to 5 miles with
Near Line of Sight
Ideal for clients with reach of

HFC access
Cost friendly
A solution for clients who cannot

acquire contemporary broadband
access, especially those in rural
areas. This is an aging technology
that is being phased out.
Not scalable
Good solution for clients who

cannot acquire contemporary
broadband access. Very limited
availability.
Not available
Ongoing standardization
Require extended fiber to
rural regions
Should be considered for next

generation broadband access
Uses ATM protocol, which

is generally not preferred to
Ethernet
Not widely deployed
High-speed solution for those

with access to GPON
infrastructure
10
GEPON (also known
as EPON)
voice and data over
fiber
1Gbps symmetrical
10GEPON
voice and data over
fiber
10Gbpbs
downstream
2.5Gbps Upstream
DPON (RFoG
Radio Frequency over
Glass)
DOCSIS cable modem

services delivered over
fiber
Up to 160Mbps
downstream
Up to 120 Mbps
upstream
Typical speed of 512

Kbps downstream
and 128Kbps
upstream
Planned for 2 Mbps

downstream & .5
Mbps upstream
Satellites
GEO
Satellites
LEO
Transmission of data
and voice over ku band
Source: ITU, Merrill Lynch. Items added/ modified by e-NC Authority (in Italic)
Based on Ethernet rather

than ATM, which lowers
the cost and complexity
Widely deployed
Massive throughput
Based on Ethernet
Not widely available in

rural areas
Costly to deploy to sparsely
populated areas
Not widely available in
rural areas
This technology has been

superseded by 10GEPON
Lower speeds than other

fiber-based protocols
Extremely high-speed / highreliability access for those with

access to 10GEPON
infrastructure
A good solution for extending
cable modem systems in areas
where copper and coax are not
present or allowed
Allows standard cable

modem protocols to be
used where fiber is
present and copper and
coax are not.
Supports broadcast
video, Video-on-demand,
cable TV, HDTV.
Offers always-on for
high-speed Internet
Not suitable for voice or

broadband Interactive
applications
Costly to deploy to sparsely
populated areas
High entry costs.
LEO projects are on hold
Very good solution for clients

who are in remote regions of NC.
Excellent technical solution for

clients who are in remote regions
of NC, but high costs may make
it impractical for residential use
11
Broadband Access Categories

The following is a discussion highlighting broadband access technologies that are existing or under
development.
ADSL
The most important feature of Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Loop (ADSL) is that it can provide highspeed digital services on the existing twisted pair copper network, in overlay without interfering with the
traditional analog telephone service -- Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). ADSL allows subscribers to
retain the analog services to which they have already subscribed. Due to its highly efficient line coding
technique, ADSL supports new broadband services on a single twisted pair. New services such as highspeed Internet and on-line access, telecommuting, telemedicine, e-education, Video On Demand (VOD),
etc., can be offered to most residential telephone subscribers who qualify. Incumbent Local Exchange
Carriers (ILECs) fully support ADSL because it takes advantage of their installed copper base.
ADSL connectivity to an ISP, Figure 1
Central Office
PSTN
Voice Switch
ADSL Modem
Data
Switch
< 18,000 copper
ISP 1
Splitter
Splitter
DSLAM
Pedestal
ISP n
Remote
Remote
SLC (slick)
< 18,000 copper

Splitter
Splitter
DSLAM
Pedestal
Figure 1. ADSL architecture

Figure 1 shows a typical ADSL modem connection to a designated Internet Service Provider (ISP):
The splitter at the subscriber side isolates the voice frequency from the digital modem data.
The copper wire terminates at the network side to a DSL Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) via a
splitter.
The voice line from the splitter terminates at the voice switch.
The DSLAM concentrates all the connected ADSL lines (typically ATM packets mapped into a
T1 line) to an ATM switch or router.
The data is distributed to various routers via T1/T3s to the designated ISPs.
12
ADSL-lite was recently released. This incorporates the splitter into the modem hardware.
For ADSL to be feasible, the maximum distance between the subscriber and the network must be no
longer than 18,000 ft. At that distance, downstream speed is about 768 Kbps and upstream speed is about
384 Kbps. For short distances (< 9000 ft) the speed can reach up to 8 Mbps for downstream and up to 1.5
Mbps in the upstream.
VDSL (Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line)

From: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
VDSL is so hardy that it is capable of providing services like HDTV and Video-on-Demand along with
Internet access, and will be bundled with HDTV packages as it establishes a presence in the marketplace.
It is the first high-speed technology that can provide an entire home-entertainment package, making it
entirely unique. As demand grows the price of VDSL packages will likely fall.
VDSL is able to deliver incredible bandwidth over standard telephone lines because voice
communications through the telephone require only a fraction of the wire's capability. For a rough
analogy, consider a multilane freeway where only the slow lane is being utilized for traffic traveling at
very slow speeds. By opening the other lanes to faster hybrid traffic, the entire freeway can be utilized, or
in this case, the entire wire pair. A telephone or fax can also be used simultaneous to VDSL Internet
access or other VDSL services.
VDSL, based on DMT (Discrete MultiTone), creates 247 virtual channels within the available bandwidth.
Each channel's integrity is monitored and data is switched to an alternate channel when signals become
degraded. In this way, data is constantly shifted to the best route for transmitting or receiving data,
making DMT a robust, albeit complex technology.
As with other broadband technologies, end-user speeds will depend upon the distance of the feed or loop
to the local telephone company office or remote. Shorter distances afford faster rates, while longer loops
degrade signal and speed. One drawback of VDSL is that it requires a very short loop of about 4000 feet
(1219 meters), or three-quarters of a mile. However, another complication can inadvertently create a
solution for the distance problem: the complication of fiber optic lines.
Many telcos are installing fiber optic lines in place of copper lines. If a stretch of line between the
customer and telco is fitted with fiber optic, VDSL signals get "lost in translation" converting from analog
(copper), to fiber optic (digital), and back to analog. A VDSL gateway device installed at the junction box
will translate the VDSL signals to pulses of light able to traverse the fiber optic cable. Through this
process, the distance barrier associated with copper wire and VDSL is "bridged" or bypassed. When the
telco receives the light impulses, it sends data back to the junction box gateway, which converts the signal
to forward along the copper wires a short distance to the VDSL modem. In this scenario, distance is not a
limiting factor.
VDSL is available worldwide in specific regions and growing all the time, and it is increasingly becoming
available in the United States. A second-generation version known as VDSL2 provides speeds up to 100
Mbps. To see if it is available in your area, check with local DSL providers, or consult the North Carolina
Broadband Map. (http://e-ncbroadband.org) For addresses outside of North Carolina, consult the National
Broadband Map. http://broadbandmap.gov
13
Figure 2 below shows the network VDSL connectivity to an ISP. The link from an ONU (Optical
Network Unit) to the central office is fiber based.
PSTN
Voice Switch
VDSL Modem
Copper
ONU
ISP 1
Fiber
Splitter
Data
Switch
ILEC Central Office
ISP n
1 4.5 K ft
Figure 2. VDSL architecture

Some important considerations
The ONU is located in the copper access network.
Like ADSL, a service splitter accommodates shared use of the physical transmission line for both
VDSL and POTS.
The maximum distance between the subscriber and the network must be no longer than 4,500 ft.
At that distance, the downstream is about 13 Mbps while the upstream will be about 1 Mbps. For
short distances of 1,000 ft, the speed can reach up to 52 Mbps for downstream and 6.4 Mbps
upstream.
ISDN
In the1980s, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) was standardized as a high-speed
interface. ISDN was developed to enhance the users application by integrating voice, data and
video applications. There are two interfaces: Basic Rate Interface (BRI) and Primary Rate
Interface (PRI).
BRI is an interface that contains 2B+D digital channels. The B channels are digitally encoded (2B1Q) and
deliver 64 Kbps slot compatible with the class-5 circuit switch fabric. The signaling D channel is 16
Kbps. It is mainly used to set up a call and to allocate the 2B channels per users request. The D channel
is also used to provide CLASS features such as caller ID, call forwarding, etc. The total payload of
2B+D connection is 144 Kbps.
PRI is an interface that contains 23B+D digital channels. Like BRI, the D channel (64 Kbps) is used for
signaling and controlling the services of the B channels. Its total payload is identical to a T1 rate (1.5
Mbps) The PRI interface is generally used by large corporations and is not commonly used for providing
last-mile Internet service.
ISDN connectivity to an ISP
14
Figure 3 below illustrates a typical ISDN user connectivity to an ISP.
ISDN Switch
PSTN
ISDN Switch
Copper - BRI
TA
ISP 1
NT
ILEC Central Office
ISP n
TA = Terminal Adapter
NT = Network Terminator
Figure 3. ISDN architecture

Connecting to the Internet at 128 Kbps requires the following:
The Terminal Adapter (TA) via the D channel assigns the 2 B-channels and binds them
to deliver 128 Kbps.
In this mode of operation this access is considered dial-up.
Based on the dialup information, the connection is then nailed up via the ISDN switch
to the designated ISP. Most ISPs do not guarantee a nailed up connection.
The ISDN line can be used for either voice or data.
There has been a slow rollout of the ISDN service (it took more than 20 years from the definition of the
standard to reach even a modest penetration level). Critics of ISDN see it as a 1970s technology that was
stymied by slow standard development and user-unfriendly pricing.
Cable Modem
The CATV systems deployed today have an enormous bandwidth capacity, thus playing a major role in
providing broadband access. Cable TV networks were originally optimized to do a very simple task, i.e.,
one-way video broadcasting. Reception of TV signals was poor, especially in suburban areas where
upscale consumers and homeowners began moving in the 1960s. Upgrading the legacy cable network to
Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) addresses two major features: providing two-way communication channels (bidirectional), and increased channel capacity (more TV channels) to consumers.
Modernization from CATV to HFC requires the following:
Upgrading the headend
Replacing the trunk from Coax to fiber / fiber nodes
Replacing the amplifiers (from one-way to bi-directional)
Modernization from CATV to HFC hardware and cabling infrastructure has allowed cable companies to
deploy broadband cable modems with shared downstream and upstream rates robust enough to deliver
most broadband services, including e-medicine, e-education, e-government, etc. This new hardware and
cabling infrastructure is made even more robust with the advent of DOCSIS 3.0 protocol, which takes full
15
advantage of the upgraded hardware and provides download speeds of up to 160 Mbps and upload speeds
of up to 120Mbps.
Cable modem connectivity to an ISP. Figure 4

Cable Modem
2-way Amp.
Drop
Fiber
Node
Fiber
Trunk
ISP - 1
Head
End
Internet
Figure 4. HFC architecture

Once a cable modem is registered in the network then it is declared operational:
The cable modem vies for access to send data to an ISP/Internet via the shared upstream link.
Once granted by the headend, the cable modem uses the allocated slots in the upstream link
delivering the data to the ISP/Internet via the headend.
In the downstream, a cable modem receives data that is addressed to that IP address.
If congestion occurs, the headend instructs the cable modem to tune to another TV channel
Cable modem access speed

HFC is a shared medium and up to 2000 cable modems can share a set of upstream and downstream TV
channels. Each TV channel is modulated using Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) encoding
techniques for the downstream that can deliver up to 42 Mbps digital stream per channel. For the
upstream, Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) is used for modulation delivering up to 2 Mbps per
channel. QPSK encoding is used because of its immunity to noise, but at the cost of inefficiency. The
upstream-allocated frequency band is polluted with environmental (electromagnetic) noise. DOCSIS 3.0
features channel bonding, which allows faster speeds by using multiple channels simultaneously.
PON (Passive Optical Network)

A passive optical network (PON) is a point-to-multipoint, fiber to the premises, network architecture in
which unpowered optical splitters utilizing Brewster's angle principles are used to enable a single optical
fiber to serve multiple premises, typically 32-128. A PON consists of an optical line terminal (OLT) at the
16
service provider's central office and a number of optical network units (ONUs) near end-users. A PON
configuration reduces the amount of fiber and central office equipment required compared with point to
point architectures. A passive optical network is a form of fiber-optic access network.
Downstream signals are broadcast to each premise sharing a single fiber. Encryption is used to prevent
eavesdropping.
Upstream signals are combined using a multiple access protocol, usually time division multiple access
(TDMA). The OLTs "range" the ONUs in order to provide time slot assignments for upstream
communication.
PON Standards
ITU-T G.983
o APON (ATM Passive Optical Network). This was the first Passive optical network
standard. It was used primarily for business applications, and was based on ATM.
o BPON (Broadband PON) is a standard based on APON. It adds support for WDM,
dynamic and higher upstream bandwidth allocation, and survivability. It also created a
standard management interface, called OMCI, between the OLT and ONU/ONT, enabling
mixed-vendor networks.
IEEE 802.3ah
o EPON or GEPON (Ethernet PON) is an IEEE/EFM standard for using Ethernet for packet
data. 802.3ah is now part of the IEEE 802.3 standard. There are currently over 25 million
installed EPON subscribers. Commercial upgrade capability to 10G EPON is still in the
early stages of availability in 2011 (see IEEE 802.3av, 10G-EPON).
ITU-T G.984
o GPON (Gigabit PON) is an evolution of the BPON standard. It supports higher rates,
enhanced security, and uses the Ethernet protocol.
IEEE 802.3av
o 10G-EPON (10 Gigabit Ethernet PON) is an IEEE Task Force for 10Gbit/s, backward
compatible with 802.3ah EPON. 10GEPON will use separate wavelengths for 10G and 1G
downstream. 802.3av will continue to use a single wavelength for both 10G and 1G
upstream with TDMA separation. The 802.3av task force has concluded with the .3av
inclusion in the IEEE 802.3 standard. Commercial 10G EPON equipment is now available.
SCTE IPS910
o RFoG (RFoverGlass) is an SCTE Interface Practices Subcomittee standard in development
for Point to Multipoint (P2MP) operations that has a proposed wavelength plan compatible
with data PON solutions including EPON, GEPON and 10G-EPON. RFoG offers an
FTTH PON like architecture for MSOs without having to select or deploy a PON
technology.
PON History
Early work on efficient fiber to the home architectures was done in the 1990s by the Full Service Access
Network (FSAN) working group, formed by major telecommunications service providers and system
vendors. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) did further work, and has since standardized
on two generations of PON. The older ITU-T G.983 standard is based on Asynchronous Transfer Mode
(ATM), and has therefore been referred to as APON (ATM PON). Further improvements to the original
APON standard as well as the gradual falling out of favor of ATM as a protocol led to the full, final
version of ITU-T G.983 being referred to more often as broadband PON, or BPON. A typical
17
APON/BPON provides 622 megabits per second (Mbit/s) (OC-12) of downstream bandwidth and 155
Mbit/s (OC-3) of upstream traffic, although the standard accommodates higher rates.
The ITU-T G.984 (GPON) standard represents a boost, compared to BPON, in both the total bandwidth
and bandwidth efficiency through the use of larger, variable-length packets. Again, the standards permit
several choices of bit rate, but the industry has converged on 2.488 gigabits per second (Gbit/s) of
downstream bandwidth, and 1.244 Gbit/s of upstream bandwidth. GPON Encapsulation Method (GEM)
allows very efficient packaging of user traffic with frame segmentation.
The IEEE 802.3 Ethernet PON (EPON or GEPON) standard was completed in 2004
(http://www.ieee802.org/3/), as part of the Ethernet First Mile project. EPON uses standard 802.3
Ethernet frames with symmetric 1 gigabit per second upstream and downstream rates. EPON is applicable
for data-centric networks, as well as full-service voice, data and video networks. 10Gbit/s EPON or 10GEPON was ratified as an amendment IEEE 802.3av to IEEE 802.3. 10G-EPON supports 10Gbps/1Gbps.
The downstream wavelength plan support simultaneous operation of 10Gbps on one wavelength and
1Gbps on a separate wavelength for operation of IEEE 802.3av and IEEE 802.3ah on the same PON
concurrently. The upstream channel can support simultaneous operation of IEEE 802.3av and 1Gbps
802.3ah simultaneously on a single shared (1310nm) channel.
2011 PON Status
Both APON/BPON and EPON/GEPON have been deployed widely, but most networks designed after
2007 use GPON or GEPON. GPON has less than 2 million installed ports. GEPON has approximately 30
million deployed ports. For TDM-PON, a passive power splitter is used as the remote terminal. Each
ONUs (Optical network units) signals are multiplexed in the time domain. ONUs see their own data
through the address labels embedded in the signal.
References:
1. ^ Rec. G.984, Gigabit-capable Passive Optical Networks (GPON), ITU-T, 2003.
2. ^ Novera's Got a New PON Spin from Light Reading, retrieved on 2009-09-02.
Lam, Cedric F., (2007) "Passive Optical Networks: Principles and Practice." San Diego,
California.: Elsevier.
Kramer, Glen, Ethernet Passive Optical Networks, McGraw-Hill Communications Engineering,
2005.
Monnard, R., Zirngibl, M.m Doerr, C.R., Joyner, C.H. & Stulz, L.W. (1997).Demonstration of a
12 155 Mb/s WDM PON Under Outside Plant Temperature Conditions. IEEE Photonics
Technology Letters. 9(12), 1655-1657.
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=643302&userType=int
Blake, Victor R. Chasing Verizon FiOS, Communications Technology, August 2008
Rubenstein, Roy. Broadband Access Networks: PON Life
McGarry, M., Reisslein, M., Maier M. (2006). WDM Ethernet Passive Optical Networks. IEEE
Optical Communications. (February 2006), S18-S25.
http://mre.faculty.asu.edu/WDM_EPON06.pdf
Fiber to the Home (FTTH)

18
Fiber to the x (FTTx) is a generic term for any broadband network architecture that uses optical fiber to
replace all or part of the usual metal local loop used for last mile telecommunications. The generic term
originated as a generalization of several configurations of fiber deployment (FTTN, FTTC, FTTB,
FTTH...), all starting by FTT but differentiated by the last letter, which is substituted by an x in the
generalization.
The telecommunications industry differentiates between several distinct configurations. The terms in most
widespread use today are:
FTTN - Fiber-to-the-node - fiber is terminated in a street cabinet up to several kilometers away

from the customer premises, with the final connection being copper.
FTTC - Fiber-to-the-cabinet or fiber-to-the-curb - this is very similar to FTTN, but the street
cabinet is closer to the user's premises; typically within 300m.
FTTB - Fiber-to-the-building or Fiber-to-the-basement - fiber reaches the boundary of the
building, such as the basement in a multi-dwelling unit, with the final connection to the individual
living space being made via alternative means.
FTTH - Fiber-to-the-home - fiber reaches the boundary of the living space, such as a box on the
outside wall of a home.
FTTP - Fiber-to-the premises - this term is used in several contexts: as a blanket term for both
FTTH and FTTB, or where the fiber network includes both homes and small businesses.
To promote consistency, especially when comparing FTTH penetration rates between countries, the
three FTTH Councils of Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific have agreed upon definitions for
FTTH and FTTB [1]. The FTTH Councils do not have formal definitions for FTTC and FTTN.
Benefits of Fiber in the Access Network
The speeds of fiber optic and copper cables are both limited by length, but copper is much more sharply
limited in this respect. For example, gigabit Ethernet runs over relatively economical category 5e,
category 6, or category 6e unshielded twisted pair copper cabling but only to 100 meters. However, over
the right kind of fiber, gigabit ethernet can easily reach distances of tens of kilometers.
Fiber configurations that bring fiber right into the building can offer the highest speeds since the
remaining segments can use standard Ethernet or coaxial cable. Fiber configurations that transition to
copper in a street cabinet are generally too far from the users for standard Ethernet configurations over
existing copper cabling.
Fiber is often said to be 'future proof' because the speed of the broadband connection is usually limited
by the terminal equipment rather than the fiber itself, permitting at least some speed improvements by
equipment upgrades before the fiber itself must be upgraded. Wave Division Multiplexing, for example,
utilizes colored light to create as many as 160 unique communication channels on a single fiber pair.
Such technologies have already increased the capacity of fiber optics from 1Gbps to as high as 8Tbps,
which is 8,000 times faster.
Fiber to the Node
Fiber to the node (FTTN), also called fiber to the neighborhood or fiber to the cabinet (FTTCab),[3] is a
telecommunication architecture based on fiber-optic cables run to a cabinet serving a neighborhood.
Customers typically connect to this cabinet using traditional coaxial cable or twisted pair wiring. The
area served by the cabinet is usually less than 1,500 m in radius and can contain several hundred
19
customers. (If the cabinet serves an area of less than 300 m in radius then the architecture is typically
called fiber to the curb.)[4]
Fiber to the node allows delivery of broadband services such as high speed Internet. High speed
communications protocols such as broadband cable access (typically DOCSIS) or some form of DSL
are used between the cabinet and the customers. The data rates vary according to the exact protocol
used and according to how close the customer is to the cabinet.
Unlike the competing fiber to the premises technology, fiber to the node often uses the existing coaxial
or twisted pair infrastructure to provide last mile service. For this reason, fiber to the node is less costly
to deploy. In the long-term, however, its bandwidth potential is limited relative to implementations that
bring the fiber still closer to the subscriber.
Fiber to the Last Amplifier
FTTLA is the acronym of the English term Fiber To The Last Amplifier. The network cables being able
to use several amplifiers, the FTTLA aims at replacing the coaxial cable to the last amplifier (towards
the subscriber) by optical fiber. It acts as a new technology aiming at re-using the network cables
existing in particular on the final part while installing of optical fiber more closely to the subscriber
while using the coaxial cable of the networks cables for the "last mile" or "last meters" connected with
the subscriber.
Fiber to the last amplifier (FTTLA) node is an efficient tool to deploy fiber deeper into the CATV
network architecture and add most desirable aspects of scalability (performance and reliability) which
are necessary when new services (i.e. triple play, video on demand, gaming) are introduced.
FTTLA is a technology which assists hybrid fiber-coaxial CATV networks to provide to their
customers more bandwidth. Using a replacement of all coaxial active equipments by nodes (optical
receiver) with high power output (up to 117 dBuV). The coaxial is maintained from the node to the
customer without any active equipment in between.
From the optical sender to the node, it uses fiber which is split by 4 or by 8 depending on the distance
and on the output power of the optical sender (from 6 to 16 dBm).
Fiber to the Curb
Fiber to the curb allows delivery of broadband services such as high speed internet. High speed
communications protocols such as broadband cable access (typically DOCSIS) or some form of DSL
are used between the cabinet and the customers. The data rates vary according to the exact protocol
used and according to how close the customer is to the cabinet.
FTTC is subtly distinct from FTTN or FTTP (all are versions of Fiber in the Loop). The chief difference
is the placement of the cabinet. FTTC will be placed near the "curb", whereas FTTN is placed far from
the customer and FTTP which is placed right at the serving location.
Unlike the competing fiber to the premises (FTTP) technology, fiber to the curb can use the existing
coaxial or twisted pair infrastructure to provide last mile service. For this reason, fiber to the curb costs
less to deploy. However, it also has lower bandwidth potential than fiber to the premises.
In the United States of America and Canada, the largest deployment of FTTC was carried out by
BellSouth Telecommunications. With the acquisition of BellSouth by AT&T, deployment of FTTC
may end. Future deployments will be based on either FTTN or FTTP. Existing FTTC plant may be
removed and replaced with FTTP.[5]
20
Fiber to the Premises

Fiber to the premises is a form of fiber-optic communication delivery in which an optical fiber is run
from the central office all the way to the premises occupied by the subscriber. Fiber to the premises is
often abbreviated with the acronym FTTP. However, this acronym has become ambiguous and may
instead refer to a form of fiber to the curb where the fiber does not in fact reach the premises but instead
terminates at a utility pole.
References:
1. ^ FTTH Council, Definition of Terms, Jan 2009 , Retrieved on 2009-08-25.
2. ^ All multimode fiber is not created equal
3. ^ da Silva, Henrique (March, 2005), Optical Access Networks, Instituto de Telecomunicaes, p.
10. Retrieved on 2007-03-25.
4. ^ McCullough, Don (August, 2005), "Flexibility is key to successful fiber to the premises
deployments", Lightwave 22 (8). Retrieved on 2010-01-27.
5. ^ Analyst: AT&T may replace some FTTC with FTTP
6. ^ FTTH Council - Definition of Terms, FTTH Council, (August 2006) p. 1. Retrieved on 2010-0119.
7. ^ FTTH Council - Definition of Terms, FTTH Council, (August 2006) p. 2. Retrieved on 2010-0119.
8. ^ The Economics of Next Generation Access
9. ^ Developments In Fibre Technologies And Investment
U-Verse
AT&T U-verse is a VDSL service offered by AT&T in various parts of the United States. It provides
broadband internet access, TV, and phone through a fiber-to-the-node communications network.
AT&T provides their U-verse services primarily through fiber to the node technology (FTTN)[1] but began
offering the service through fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP).[2] Only FTTN employs a video ready access
device (VRAD) in the neighborhood, while FTTP provides service directly from the Central Office
usually located in the central part of the city. In FTTN, it is a digital subscriber line access multiplexer
(DSLAM). FTTP uses a fiber multiplexer with the conversion to copper taking place at the termination
point on the customer property. FTTN is more common, with FTTP only in new housing developments or
areas not otherwise served by copper POTS. VDSL2 is used in FTTN systems with speeds up to 32Mbps
down and 5Mbps up for customers in the closest range and speeds up to 19Mbps down and 2Mbps up for
those at the farthest allowable range. Currently up to 7Mbps is reserved for Cable television, and up to
24Mbit/s is reserved for internet service and VOIP. Once inside the customer's property, service is carried
over ethernet or the existing coax network using HomePNA.
U-Verse Television
U-verse TV is delivered via IPTV from the head-end to the consumer's Total Home DVR or standard settop box.[2] U-verse uses H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC) encoding which compresses video more efficiently than
the traditional MPEG-2 codec. Broadcast channels are distributed via IP multicast, allowing a single
21
stream (channel) to be sent to any number of recipients. The system is also designed for individual
unicasts for video on demand, central time shifting, start-over services and other programs desired by only
one home at that particular time. The set-top box does not have a conventional tuner, but is an IP
multicast client which requests the stream desired. In the IP multicast model, only the streams the
customer uses are sent. The customer's connection need not have the capacity to carry all available
channels simultaneously.
U-Verse Internet
Internet service is provided to computers connected to the on-premises ethernet cabling or a HomePNA
residential gateway. U-verse Internet is available either bundled with AT&T's home phone service or as
dry loop DSL.
U-Verse Voice
AT&T U-verse Voice is a voice communication service delivered over AT&T's IP network. Customers
subscribing to both AT&T U-verse TV and Voice are provided features such as call history and Click to
Call, which displays missed and answered calls on the customer's TV if subscribed to U-verse TV.
References:
1. ^ The problem with AT&T's U-verse
2. ^ AT&T to build FTTP network to deliver U-verse services near Houston
Fios
Verizon FiOS is a bundled home communications (Internet, telephone, and television) service, operating
over a fiber-optic communications network, that is offered in some areas of the United States by Verizon
Communications. Verizon has attracted consumer and media attention in the area of broadband Internet
access as the first major U.S. carrier to offer fiber to the home/premises, and has received top ratings from
Consumer Reports among cable television and internet service providers.[1] Other service providers
currently only use fiber optics deployment to the network backbone and use existing copper or coax
infrastructure for the end user.
Verizon FiOS services are delivered over a fiber-to-the-premises network using passive optical network
technology. Voice, video, and data travel over three wavelengths in the infrared spectrum. To serve a
home, a single-mode optical fiber extends from an optical line terminal at a FiOS central office or head
end out to the neighborhoods where an optical splitter fans out the same signal on up to 32 fibers, thus
serving up to 32 subscribers. At the subscriber's home, an optical network terminal transfers data onto the
corresponding copper wiring for phone, video and Internet access.[2]
One of the three wavelength bands is devoted to carrying television channels using standard QAM cable
television technology. The other two wavelengths are devoted to all other data, one for outbound and the
other for inbound data. This includes video on demand, telephone and Internet data.
This allocation of wavelengths adheres to the ITU-T G.983 standard, also known as an ATM passive
optical network (APON). Verizon initially installed slower BPONs but now only installs GPONs
specified in the ITU-T G.984 standard. These bands and speeds are:
22
1310 nm wavelength for upstream data at 155 Mbit/s (1.2 Gbit/s with GPON)
1490 nm wavelength for downstream data at 622 Mbit/s (2.4 Gbit/s with GPON)
1550 nm wavelength for QAM cable television with 870 MHz of bandwidth
FiOS Television
Unlike AT&T's U-verse product, Verizon's broadcast video service is not IPTV. However, video on
demand content and interactive features, such as "widgets" and programing guide data, are delivered over
an IPTV-based format. The vast majority of content is provided over a standard broadcast video signal
which carries digital QAM content up to 870 MHz. This broadcast content originates from a Super HeadEnd (SHE), which then sends the signal to a Video Hub Office (VHO) for distribution to FiOS TV
customers.[3]
At the Optical Network Terminal (ONT) located at the subscriber's home, the RF video is sent over a
coaxial connection, typically to a FiOS set-top box that handles both RF and IPTV video. Interactive
services such as VOD and widgets are delivered by IP and are only accessible through use of a FiOS settop box and a Verizon-supplied router. The router supports MoCA and provides the set-top boxes with
programming guides and on-demand video content. Verizon utilizes an IP return path from the set-top
box so that subscribers can order pay-per-view events. The FiOS set-top boxes play IPTV only through
FiOS delivered via MoCA and not from video sources on the Internet. FiOS's IPTV implementation does
not follow cable television formats and conventions for two way television and instead follows the DVB
standard.[4]
MoCA is also used by FiOS for streaming video from the ONT for the home, a role currently filled by
Motorola's hybrid QAM/IPTV DVR. There are several limitations to video connectivity in the home via
FiOS. Standard definition video may be viewed on any television with a built-in clear QAM tuner (limited
to legally unencrypted broadcast and local access channels) or a FiOS SD set-top box or FiOS digital
television adapter (all SD channels), but high definition content (beyond local HD channels which are in
clear QAM) requires HD equipment like a FiOS HD set-top box/DVR or a CableCARD-supporting
device, such as TiVo. As of June 2008, Verizon ceased carrying analog television signals in parallel with
digital channels, meaning televisions without a QAM tuner or a set-top box/digital adapter receive no
signal.[5]
FiOS Internet
Internet throughput speeds are highly variable depending upon service area and are affected by such
factors as customer location, cost, and services of the competing broadband providers. Available speeds in
various areas have been changed with little notice, generally to raise throughput (but also prices in some
cases). End customers usually have three or more choices for Internet bandwidth:
The lowest bandwidth tier was originally 5 Mbit/s down and 2 Mbit/s up and is now 15 Mbit/s
down and 5 Mbit/s up in most areas.
A second tier is available with 25 Mbit/s download speed and 25 Mbit/s upload speed.
A third (or higher) service tier, when available for residential service, provides higher still
bandwidth, in some areas reaching 30/15, 35/35 or 50/20 Mbit/s download and upload.
FiOS Voice
Verizon offers analog POTS over FiOS. The common model optical network terminals have 2 or 4 analog
phone jacks.
23
There have been reports in various markets that Verizon has physically disconnected the copper lines (or
the network interface device, necessary for copper-line phone service) at the time that FiOS was
installed.[6]
Power outages may affect service availability. Since fiber-optic service does not carry power from the
exchange as copper service does, the customer's power is used instead. This means that if there is no
electricity at the premises, telephone service will be interrupted. This may be an issue for sites that
experience extended power outages that depend on analog phone lines for remote monitoring, alarm
systems, and/or emergency calls. Verizon provides a rechargeable battery backup unit free with
installation of the service, which powers the ONT for a limited time to provide telephone service in the
event of a power outage.
References:
1. ^ "Fiber-Optic Providers Are Leading Choices for Internet, TV, and Telephone Service".
Consumer Reports. 2010-01-05.
http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2010/01/fiberoptic-providers-are-leadingchoices-for-internet-tv-and-telephone-service.html. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
2. ^ Rowe, Martin (2007-04-30). "Verizon's last mile". Test & Measurement World.
http://www.tmworld.com/article/CA6438056.html. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
3. ^ Drawbaugh, Ben (2009-12-17). "An inside look at a Verizon FiOS Super Headend and Video
Hub". Engadget. http://hd.engadget.com/2009/12/17/an-inside-look-at-a-verizon-fios-superheadend-and-video-hub/. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
4. ^ "Verizon Ex Parte Filing with the FCC". Federal Communications Commission. 2005-10-20.
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_document=6518171130.
Retrieved 2007-07-06.
5. ^ "Your FiOS TV service is becoming 100% Digital". Verizon Communications.
http://www22.verizon.com/content/fiostv/godigital.html. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
6. ^ Yao, Deborah (2007-07-08). "Verizon's Copper Cutoff Traps Customers". FreePress.net.
Associated Press. http://www.freepress.net/news/24446. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
Marsan, C. D. (2008). Verizon FiOS tech heading to enterprises; Claims new high-speed optical
networks slash floor space, electricity needs. Network World, (1). Retrieved March 8, 2009.
Searcey, D. (2006). Telecommunications; Beyond Cable; Beyond DSL: Fiber-optic lines offer
connection speeds up to 50 times faster than traditional services; Here's what early users have to
say. Wall Street Journal, (R9). Retrieved March 7, 2009.
Mobile Wireless 3G, 4G and LTE

3G- From: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT--2000), better known as 3G or 3rd Generation, is a
generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunications services fulfilling
specifications by the International Telecommunication Union,[1]. Application services include wide-area
wireless voice telephone, mobile Internet access, video calls and mobile TV, all in a mobile environment.
Compared to the older 2G and 2.5G standards, a 3G system must allow simultaneous use of speech and
data services, and provide peak data rates of at least 200 kbit/s according to the IMT-2000 specification.
Recent 3G releases, often denoted 3.5G and 3.75G, also provide mobile broadband access of several
Mbit/s to laptop computers and smartphones.
24
The following standards are typically branded 3G:
the UMTS system, first offered in 2001, standardized by 3GPP, used primarily in Europe, Japan,
China (however with a different radio interface) and other regions predominated by GSM 2G
system infrastructure. The cell phones are typically UMTS and GSM hybrids. The original and
most widespread radio interface is called W-CDMA. The latest release, HSPA+, can provide peak
data rates up to 56 Mbit/s in the downlink in theory (28 Mbit/s in existing services) and 22 Mbit/s
in the uplink.
the CDMA2000 system, first offered in 2002, standardized by 3GPP2, used especially in North
America and South Korea, sharing infrastructure with the IS-95 2G standard. The cell phones are
typically CDMA2000 and IS-95 hybrids. The latest release EVDO Rev B offers peak rates of 14.7
Mbit/s downstreams.
The above systems and radio interfaces are based on kindred spread spectrum radio transmission
technology. While the GSM EDGE standard ("2.9G"), DECT cordless phones and Mobile WiMAX
standards formally also fulfill the IMT-2000 requirements and are approved as 3G standards by ITU,
these are typically not branded 3G, and are based on completely different technologies.
References:
^ Clint Smith, Daniel Collins. "3G Wireless Networks", page 136. 2000.
4G- From: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
4G refers to the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards. It is a successor to 3G and 2G families of
standards. The nomenclature of the generations generally refers to a change in the fundamental nature of
the service, non-backwards compatible transmission technology and new frequency bands. The first was
the move from 1981 analog (1G) to digital (2G) transmission in 1992. This was followed, in 2002, by 3G
multi-media support, spread spectrum transmission and at least 200 kbit/s, soon expected to be followed
by 4G, which refers to all-IP packet-switched networks, mobile ultra-broadband (gigabit speed) access
and multi-carrier transmission. Pre-4G technologies such as mobile WiMAX and first-release 3G Long
term evolution (LTE) have been available on the market since 2006[1] and 2009[2][3][4] respectively. While
these technologies do not meet the ITU minimum speed requirements for 4G, they have been marketed as
4G by carriers.
A true 4G system is expected to provide a comprehensive and secure all-IP based solution where facilities
such as IP telephony, ultra-broadband Internet access, gaming services and streamed multimedia may be
provided to users.
This article uses 4G to refer to IMT-Advanced (International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced), as
defined by ITU-R.
An IMT-Advanced cellular system must have target peak data rates of up to approximately 100 Mbit/s for
high mobility such as mobile access and up to approximately 1 Gbit/s for low mobility such as
nomadic/local wireless access, according to the ITU requirements. Scalable bandwidths up to at least
40 MHz should be provided.[5][6]
25
References:
1. ^ a b c "South Korea launches WiBro service". EE Times. 2006-06-30.
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=189800030.
2. ^ a b "Light Reading Mobile - 4G/LTE - Ericsson, Samsung Make LTE Connection - Telecom
News Analysis". Unstrung.com. http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=183528&.
Retrieved 2010-03-24.
3. ^ a b "Teliasonera First To Offer 4G Mobile Services". Wall Street Journal. 2009-12-14.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20091214-707449.html.
4. ^ a b Daily Mobile Blog
5. ^ Moray Rumney, "IMT-Advanced: 4G Wireless Takes Shape in an Olympic Year", Agilent
Measurement Journal, September 2008
6. ^ a b c ITU-R, Report M.2134, Requirements related to technical performance for IMT-Advanced
radio interface(s), Approved in Nov 2008
LTE- From: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), is the latest standard in the mobile network technology tree that
previously realized the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSxPA network technologies [1]. It is a project of the 3rd
Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), operating under a name trademarked by one of the associations
within the partnership, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute.
The current generation of mobile telecommunication networks are collectively known as 3G (for "third
generation"). Although LTE is often marketed as 4G, first-release LTE is actually a 3.9G technology
since it does not fully comply with the IMT Advanced 4G requirements. The pre-4G standard is a step
towards LTE Advanced, a 4th generation standard (4G)[2] of radio technologies designed to increase the
capacity and speed of mobile telephone networks. LTE Advanced is backwards compatible with LTE and
uses the same frequency bands, while LTE is not backwards compatible with 3G systems.
Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility in the United States and several worldwide carriers announced
plans, beginning in 2009, to convert their networks to LTE. The world's first publicly available LTEservice was opened by TeliaSonera in the two Scandinavian capitals Stockholm and Oslo on the 14th of
December 2009. LTE is a set of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
(UMTS) which was introduced in 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 8. Much of 3GPP
Release 8 focuses on adopting 4G mobile communication's technology, including an all-IP flat
networking architecture. On August 18, 2009, the European Commission announced it will invest a total
of 18 million into researching the deployment of LTE and 4G candidate systems LTE Advanced.[3]
While it is commonly seen as a mobile telephone or common carrier development, LTE is also endorsed
by public safety agencies in the US [4] as the preferred technology for the new 700 MHz public-safety
radio band. Agencies in some areas have filed for waivers[5] hoping to use the 700 MHz[6] spectrum with
other technologies in advance of the adoption of a nationwide standard.
The LTE specification provides downlink peak rates of at least 100 Mbps, an uplink of at least 50 Mbps
and RAN round-trip times of less than 10 ms. LTE supports scalable carrier bandwidths, from 1.4 MHz to
20 MHz and supports both frequency division duplexing (FDD) and time division duplexing (TDD).
Part of the LTE standard is the System Architecture Evolution, a flat IP-based network architecture
designed to replace the GPRS Core Network and ensure support for, and mobility between, some legacy
or non-3GPP systems, for example GPRS and WiMax respectively.[7]
26
References:
1. ^ "Long Term Evolution (LTE): A Technical Overview". Motorola.
http://www.motorola.com/staticfiles/Business/Solutions/Industry%20Solutions/Service%20Provid
ers/Wireless%20Operators/LTE/_Document/Static%20Files/6834_MotDoc_New.pdf. Retrieved
2010-07-03.
2. ^ "Mobile telecommunications standards". Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Mobile_telecommunications_standards. Retrieved 2010-0616.
3. ^ "European Commission pumps 18 million into LTE research | Wireless News". Betanews.
http://www.betanews.com/article/European-Commission-pumps-a18-million-into-LTEresearch/1250618141. Retrieved 2010-03-24.
4. ^ "NPSTC Votes To Endorse LTE Technology for Broadband Network". National Public Safety
Telecommunications Council. June 10, 2009.
http://www.npstc.org/documents/Press_Release_NPSTC_Endorses_LTE_Standard_090610.pdf.
5. ^ "PS Docket No. 06-229". Federal Communications Commission. August 14, 2009.
http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2009/db0814/DA-09-1819A1.pdf.
6. ^ "700 MHz Public Safety Spectrum". Fcc.gov. 2009-06-12. http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/publicsafety-spectrum/700-MHz/. Retrieved 2010-03-24.
7. ^ LTE an introduction. Ericsson. 2009.
http://www.ericsson.com/technology/whitepapers/lte_overview.pdf.
Fixed Wireless
LMDS and MMDS
Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS) and Multichannel Multipoint Distributed Service
(MMDS) are fixed wireless, two-way broadband access technologies designed to integrate video, voice,
and high-speed data.
LMDS should play an important role in broadband deployment especially in rural areas. Recently the
FCC auctioned off one GHz of bandwidth around 28 GHz to be used for LMDS. This offers alternatives
to Telco and cable last mile facilities. These technologies are most likely to be used for business and rural
customers. Early experimental licenses demonstrated the feasibility of such a system. However, because
foliage and rain attenuation is so high at this frequency and because terminals operating at this frequency
are relatively expensive, current holders of LMDS licenses are now focusing on business access services.
Conceptually, LMDS is similar to the cellular telephony in that a service area would be divided into cells,
with a transmitter serving each cell. It is not, however, targeted for mobile applications due to its line of
sight requirements. It differs from conventional microwave transmission systems due to its point-tomultipoint operation. Its characteristics are similar to that of a fiber-fed cable system, but operate in a
Line of Sight (LoS) access approach.
LMDS architecture. Figure 7
27
Headend/ master
site
Cell Site
Internet
Two-way wireless transmission links connect small transceiver units located on the customer's rooftop to
node sites. Depending on antenna height, terrain, weather, and desired reliability, LMDS can provide
service to 3-5 miles.
MMDS
MMDS shares similar topology and is similar in many respects to LMDS architecture. MMDS uses the
2.1-to-2.69 GHz frequency, and was originally licensed for one-way video transmission to provide an
alternative to cable television. Like LMDS, MMDS is licensed by the Federal Communications
Commission, which means an expensive cost of entry. In 1998, the FCC ruled that the frequencies could
be used for bi-directional transmission; hence it became an access alternative for broadband data services.
Carriers also have another alternative when it comes to lower-throughput, which is a longer-reach radio
technology. The wireless spectrum blocks in the 2.1 to 2.7 GHz band that can be used for cable television
and Internet services, including multipoint distribution service (MDS), and unlicensed bands Instructional
Television Fixed Service (ITFS). The allocated frequencies are:
Frequency Range
2.150 - 2.162 GHz
2.500 - 2.596 GHz
2.596 - 2.644 GHz
2.644 - 2.686 GHz
2.686 - 2.689 GHz
Service Type
MDS
ITFS
MMDS
ITFS
MMDS
Number of Channels
2
16
8
4
31
Channel Width
6 MHz
6 MHz
6 MHz
6 MHz
125 KHz
Table 6
Like broadcast television, MDS/MMDS/ITFS transmission is based on LoS technology. The
signals are transmitted from a broadcast tower, usually located on a hill or tall building, to
special antennas affixed to residences or businesses throughout a local market. They can use
unlicensed bands as shown in table 6.
Like cable modems, a 6 MHz channel with QAM modulation can deliver about 30 Mbps and hence
support 500 to 1500 subscribers. In general, MMDS provides service for up to 35 miles radius. This is
quite an advantage over LMDS that can provide services for up to a maximum of 5 miles. MMDS reach
makes it ideal for residents in rural areas that are technologically undeveloped.
Physically, a system consists of two primary functional layers -- transport and services.
28
1. The transport layer is comprised of the customer premises Roof-Top-Unit (RTU) and the node
electronics. The RTU solid-state transceiver is approximately 12 inches in diameter. The node
includes solid-state transmitters, receivers and other related elements, located at the transmit site.
2. The services layer is comprised of a Network Interface Unit (NIU) at the customer premises and
the base electronics. The NIU provides industry standard interfaces to the customer, and the base
provides control and transport functions remoted from the hub-site or central office/traffic
aggregation site.
Unlicensed frequencies
The FCC has allocated 300 MHz of spectrum for unlicensed operation in the 5-GHz &
2-GHz block. IEEE 802.11 developed specification standards for using these unlicensed frequencies.
IEEE 802.11 is a standard for Wireless LAN that are designed for inside buildings, such as offices, malls,
hospitals, etc., as well as outdoor areas, such campuses, building complexes, and outdoor plants. These
protocols and frequencies can also be used for fixed wireless point-to-multi-point last-mile broadband
infrastructure with a line-of-sight range of up to 25 miles. The capability of 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g,
and 802.11n are as shown in the table below.
Table 7
Standard Approved
Available Bandwidth
Unlicensed Frequencies of Operation
Data Rate per Channel
Modulation Type
Approved
Max Speed
Frequencies
Modulation Type
802.11a
September 1999
300MHz
5.15-5.35GHz, 5.725-5.825GHz
6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48,54 Mbps
OFDM
802.11a
1999
54Mbps
5Ghz
OFDM
802.11b
1999
11Mbps
2.4Ghz
DSSS
802.11b
September 1999
83.5MHz
2.4-2.4835GHz
1, 2, 5.5, 11 Mbps 1, 2 Mbps
DSSS
802.11g
2003
54Mbps
2.4Ghz
OFDM/DSSS
802.11n
2009
200Mbps
2.4Ghz / 5Ghz
OFDM
Advantages/ Disadvantages
Fast and inexpensive deployments are two fundamental advantages when using the unlicensed spectrum.
The cost of a single license would be a significant part of a systems overall deployment cost. Another
advantage is that it is shared and relatively mobile. Such sharing is essential for wireless systems that are
moved from place to place. It would not be practical to require the owners of a portable device to acquire
a license that covers every place they may ever wish the system to operate.
The fixed applications that transmit sporadically or at fluctuating rates can also make more efficient use of
unlicensed spectrum; when one is not transmitting, another can. It has been shown that cellular systems
could carry significantly more traffic if they shared spectrum dynamically, provided that competing firms
are willing to adopt cooperative strategies that serve their common interest. Metropolitan area networks
carrying bursty data traffic could expect even greater efficiency gains, if competing networks can be
motivated to adopt such techniques.
The unlicensed spectrum has tremendous advantages over licensed spectrum, such as dramatically lower
cost of entry for the construction of new networks, no need to wait for a license, and reduced reporting
29
requirements. Unfortunately, adequate protection from interference is not one of those advantages; there
is always a risk that too many systems will be deployed in close proximity, and systems will have
degraded signals. As a result, a company is taking a significant risk when it develops products or services
using unlicensed spectrum, and the FCC is also taking a risk when it allocates a new block of unlicensed
spectrum
White Spaces (Super Wi-Fi) The use of frequencies previously reserved as buffers between television
channels for last-mile broadband access was approved by the FCC in September, 2010. The FCC will
maintain a database of unprotected channels that can be used for white space broadband transmission. As
of early 2011, trials are under way, but this technology has, thus far, proven controversial, as broadcasters
and even the makers of wireless microphones have raised concerns about interference. Because of the
longer wave lengths used by these frequencies, it should be possible for white space transmission to
penetrate foliage and provide non-line-of-sight service. As this technology matures, it may help fill the
gaps that line-of-sight requiring technologies are unable to serve. Since the white spaces can be seen as
possibly infringing on spectrum already in use, the greatest challenges for this technology may be
political and logistical.
Satellite
Satellites are radio relay stations in orbit above the earth that receive, amplify and redirect analogue and
digital signals. There are two categories of satellites:
1. Geostationary Earth Orbiting (GEO) satellites that are in orbit 22,300 miles above the earth and
rotate with the earth, thus appearing stationary. A fleet of 3 GEOs would provide complete global
coverage.
2. Low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites generally track somewhere between 500-1500 miles above the
earth and revolve around the globe every couple of hours. Each LEO is only in view for a few
minutes, and hence multiple LEOs are required to maintain continuous coverage by having one in
sight at all times. LEO constellations have the advantage of shorter transmission delays and may
carry out call routing via the LEO satellite networks or terrestrial networks. Depending on
coverage, a constellation of 66 288 satellites can be deployed.
PSTN
Gateway
Internet
Figure 8. GEO/LEO architecture
30
Figure 8 above illustrates typical connectivity from a subscriber to the network (Internet).
GEO
Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) falls under the GEO category. DBS was originally designed
as a one-way transmission medium for the broadcast (or download) of information. However,
interactive services, such as web browsing are slowly being introduced. Where the traffic flow
is highly asymmetric, the return leg can be provided by a telephone line or most recently via an
uplink channel. EarthLink launched an interactive satellite service, using satellite uplinks as
well as downlinks, in the United States in May 2001. This broadband service is being offered
nationwide.
The reception dish size dish antenna is about one meter (39") or less in diameter. The reception
dish may have to be mounted on a post to establish LoS.
The delay for DBS is quite noticeable (0.5 sec). Such delay can be detrimental or at best annoying for
broadband application requiring conversational or highly interactive services.
LEO
The Iridium satellite constellation is a large group of satellites used to provide voice and data coverage
to satellite phones, pagers and integrated transceivers over Earth's entire surface. Iridium Communications
Inc. owns and operates the constellation and sells equipment and access to its services.
The constellation requires 66 active satellites in orbit to complete its constellation and additional spare
satellites are kept in-orbit to serve in case of failure.[1] Satellites are in low Earth orbit at a height of
approximately 485 mi (781 km) and inclination of 86.4. Orbital velocity of the satellites is approximately
17,000 mph (27,000 km/h). Satellites communicate with neighboring satellites via Ka band inter-satellite
links. Each satellite can have four inter-satellite links: two to neighbors fore and aft in the same orbital
plane, and two to satellites in neighboring planes to either side. The satellites orbit from pole to pole with
an orbit of roughly 100 minutes. This design means that there is excellent satellite visibility and service
coverage at the North and South poles, where there are few customers. The over-the-pole orbital design
produces "seams" where satellites in counter-rotating planes next to one another are traveling in opposite
directions. Cross-seam inter-satellite link hand-offs would have to happen very rapidly and cope with
large Doppler shifts; therefore, Iridium supports inter-satellite links only between satellites orbiting in the
same direction.
Iridium is currently developing, and has plans to launch beginning in 2015, Iridium NEXT a secondgeneration worldwide network of telecommunications satellites, consisting of 66 satellites and six spares.
These satellites will incorporate features such as data transmission which were not emphasized in the
original design.[2] The original plan was to begin launching new satellites in 2014.[3] Satellites will
incorporate additional payload such as cameras and sensors in collaboration with some customers and
partners. Iridium can also be used to provide a data link to other satellites in space enabling command and
control of other space assets regardless of the position of ground stations and gateways.[2]
References:
1. ^ a b Iridium satellites^ http://www.heavens-above.com/
2. ^ a b Iridium NEXT, accessed 20100616.
31
^ Max Jarman (February 1, 2009). "Iridium Satellite Phones Second Life". The Arizona Republic.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2009/01/31/20090131biz-iridium0201.html.
Power Line Communication (PLC) technology
PLC research began in the early 1990s by Dr. J Brown at Lancaster University (England) and funded by
the Electric Power Research Institute. The principle of providing access via power lines is illustrated in
Figure 9. Radio Frequency (RF) signals are injected and stripped from the power line at power
substations. A HE (Headend like) node mediates access to all connected homes.
Power line Modem
x-former substation
HE
Internet
Figure 9. PLC architecture

RF interference was the major problem witnessed by the field trial. The electric poles acted as a huge
antenna and disrupted major wireless communication in that neighborhood. Unlike telephone lines, the
power lines are not twisted and lengths of single wires are seen as a junction point. Several European
vendors claim to have solved the RF interference.
The European standardization bodies, especially the European Telecommunications Standards Institute
(ETSI) http://www.etsi.org were chartered to develop specifications for PLC and address the RF radiation
problems.
In North America, there were several attempts to transfer the European PLC technology, but so far
reputable vendors have shelved it. Technically, power lines attributes (power, frequency & infrastructure)
in Europe are different. Much more research for US deployment is required. This delay and added cost
put the power line modem at a great disadvantage.
In September of 2010, the IEEE Standards Association announced IEEE Standard 1901-2010 Standard
for Broadband over Power Line Networks: Medium Access Control and Physical Layer Specifications.
This new standard aims to solve the radio interference issues, while providing 500Mbps of bandwidth
32
over distances less than 1500 meters. Repeaters can be used to achieve longer distances. This new
standard may breathe new life into BPL.
References:
1. IEEE.org - http://standards.ieee.org/news/2011/bpl.html
Appendix
Readers are encouraged to develop their own cost models for their geographic area.
Cost models
The generic model below will be used to estimate cost models for ISPs who are likely to service rural
areas of NC. The broadband cost models analyzed are:
1. ADSL
2. ISDN/IDSL
3. Cable Modem
4. MMDS
5. Satellites
Network
User
User cost
INTERNET
ISP
Last mile cost
Network
upgrades
Transmission
Routers/
NM
Long Haul
Transmission
ADSL cost model

It is assumed that every resident in NC is wired (copper) to a central office.
Required hardware
User equipment
One ADSL Modem
Last Mile
Installation charges
DLC if beyond 18000 ft
Network / Add/ upgrade
T1s
DSLAM
ADSL modem
Transmission
ATM switch
T1s monthly rate
Connection charges
Cost
Cost @ user
Total cost
33
1St mile
2nd mile
ISP equipment
3rd Mile
Router
NM
ISDN cost model

Required hardware
User equipment
Cost
Cost @ user
Total cost
One ISDN Modem

Connection charges @ Min.
Last Mile
DLC if beyond 18000 ft
T1s
ISDN Modem (NT)
Transmission
T1s monthly rate

Connection charges
1St mile
2nd mile
ISP equipment
3rd Mile
Router
NM
IDSL cost model

Required hardware
User equipment
One ISDL Modem
Last Mile
Dry loop (unbundling) @ Mon

Transmission
ISP equipment
Cost
Cost @ user
Total cost
Connection charges
Router
NM
Cable Modem cost model

It is assumed that 500 cable modems are connected to a cable HE
Required hardware
User equipment
One cable modem + Ethernet
Cost
Cost @ user
Total cost
34
adapter
Last Mile
Replace amplifiers
Fiber from node to fiber Node

Lasers for Rec/ X-mit
Transmission
Control hardware
T1s monthly rate
Connection charges
1St mile
2nd mile
ISP equipment
3rd Mile
Router
NM
MMDS cost model

It is assumed that MMDS can provide services for a 30 Mile radius
Required hardware
User equipment
Cost
Cost @ user
Total cost
Cost
Cost @ user
Total cost
Digital set-top box

Roof-mounted, 12-inch dish
Last Mile
BW @ 64 Kbps
Towers
Network interface unit (NIU)
Transmission
Base station
T1s monthly rate
Connection charges
1St mile
2nd mile
ISP equipment
3rd Mile
Router
NM
Satellite cost model

It is assumed that satellites are sunk cost
Required hardware
User equipment
Digital set-top box

Roof-mounted, 18-inch dish
35
Last Mile
BW @ 64 Kbps
Gateway
Transmission
T1s monthly rate

Connection charges
1St mile
2nd mile
3rd Mile
Router
ISP equipment
NM
Other References
1) *Email message exchange between e-NC Authority staff and Dr. James Love (December 2001)
2) Bob Frankston. Telecom From Telecom to Connectivity. Pulver telecom summit October
2001
3) Bob Lund. PON architecture future proofs FTTH September 1, 1999
4) http://broadband.gc.ca/english
5) http://www.dslreports.com/gbu
6) http://www.etsi.org
7) ITU new initiative program economic and regulatory implications of broadband. 12 July
2001document
8) James Love. ISDN Pricing, What Went Wrong Paper presented at the Harvard Information
Infrastructure Project (HIIP) Policy Roundtable on Next-Generation Communications
Technologies: Lessons from ISDN. June 24, 1998. NIST, Gaithersburg, MD.
http://ksgwww.harvard.edu/iip/ngct/love.html
9) Marguerite Reardon Unbarred wireless?. Red Herring Communications
October 1, 2000
10) N. Ransom presentation to broadband subcommittee Evolution of ADSL. October 2001
11) Robert Shaw ITU's Internet Strategy and Policy Adviser ITU and its role in the Internet
12) The Center for Wireless Telecommunications (CWT), a research facility of Virginia Tech in
Blacksburg, Va., is organizing an "LMDS Research Consortium."
Acronyms
ADSL
ANSI
APON
ATM
B-ISDN
BRI
BYTES
CLEC
DBS
DLC
DOCSIS
DSLAM
DSSS
DTH
Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line

American National Standards Institute
ATM Passive Optical Fiber Network
Asynchronous Transfer Mode
Broadband ISDN
Basic Rate Interface
See Last Page of Document
Competitive Local Exchange Carrier
Direct Broadcast Satellite
Digital Loop Carrier
Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification
DSL Access Multiplexer
Direct-sequence spread spectrum
Direct To Home
36
DVB
e-NC
EPON
ETSI
FCC
FIOS
FSAN
FSN
FTTB
FTTC
FTTH
GEO
GEPON
GII
GPON
HDTV
HE
HFC
IDSL
IEEE
ILEC
ISDN
ISP
ITFS
ITU
LEO
LMDS
LOS
LTE
MiFi
MDS
MMDS
MoCA
MPLS
NIU
ONU
OFDM
PLC
PON
POTS
PRI
PSTN
QAM
QOS
QPSK
RF
RTU
SLA
SLC
SONET
TA
TB
TDMA
UNI
VDSL
VOD
VPN
WDM
Digital Video Broadcasting

The e-NC Authority
Ethernet Passive Optical Network
European Telecommunications Standards Institute
Federal Communication Commission
Fiber Optic-based Internet service provided by Verizon Communications
Full Service Access Network
Full Service Network
Fiber To The Business
Fiber To The Cabinet/Curb
Fiber To The Home
Geostationary Earth Orbiting satellite
Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network
Global Information Infrastructure
Gigabit Passive Optical Network
High Definition TV
Headend
Hybrid Fiber Coax
Integrated Digital Subscriber Loop
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier
Integrated Service Digital Network
Internet Service Provider
Instructional Television Fixed Service
International Telecommunications Union
Low-Earth Orbit satellite
Local Multipoint Distribution Service
Line Of Sight
Long Term Evolution
Portable Wi-Fi hotspot
Multipoint Distribution Service
Multi-channel Multi-point Distribution Service
Multipmedia over Coaz Alliance
Multiprotocol Label Switching
Network Interface Unit
Optical Network Unit
Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing
Power Line Communication
Passive Optical Network
Plain Old Telephone Service
Primary Rate Interface
Public Switch Telephone Network
Quadrature Amplitude Modulation
Quality Of Service
Quadrature Phase Shift Keying
Radio Frequency
Roof-Top-Unit
Service Level Agreement
Subscriber Line Concentrator
Synchronous Optical Network
Terminal Adapter
Terabyte
Time Division Multiple Access
User Network Interface
Very High Rate Digital Subscriber Line
Video On Demand
Virtual Private Network
Wave Division Multiplexer
37
3G
4G
3rd Generation Wireless

4th Generation Wireless
Table multiples of bytes

Multiples of bytes*
SI decimal prefixes
Binary
IEC binary prefixes
usage
Name
Value
Name
(Symbol)
Value
(Symbol)
kilobyte (kB)
103
210
kibibyte (KiB)
210
megabyte (MB)
106
220
mebibyte (MiB)
220
gigabyte (GB)
109
230
gibibyte (GiB)
230
terabyte (TB)
1012
240
tebibyte (TiB)
240
petabyte (PB)
1015
250
pebibyte (PiB)
250
exabyte (EB)
1018
260
exbibyte (EiB)
260
zettabyte (ZB)
1021
270
zebibyte (ZiB)
270
yottabyte (YB)
1024
280
yobibyte (YiB)
280
See also: Multiples of bits Orders of magnitude of data
* Source: Wikipedia

Broadband Briefs 2011

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Broadband Briefs 2011

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1

Broadband access: Briefing paper

Author: e-NC Authority Technical Committee

What Types of Broadband Are Available?

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL);

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

Broadband over Powerline (BPL)

Makes full use of existing

Limited video capability

Ideal for web-browsing

Limited upstream bandwidth

Good platform for voice

Supports broadcast video,

For MMDS, State owned

Supports broadcast video,

Voice requires special

Supports broadcast, voice

For residents, using

Transmission of data over

Best suited for clients who are

Requires short distance

Limited but expanding availability

Needs line of sight to

LMDS with reach of 5 mile radius

MMDS reach is 35 mile radius

Unlicensed technologies with

Ideal for clients with reach of

A solution for clients who cannot

Good solution for clients who

Should be considered for next

Uses ATM protocol, which

High-speed solution for those

DOCSIS cable modem

Typical speed of 512

Planned for 2 Mbps

Based on Ethernet rather

Not widely available in

This technology has been

Lower speeds than other

Extremely high-speed / highreliability access for those with

Allows standard cable

Not suitable for voice or

Very good solution for clients

Excellent technical solution for

Broadband Access Categories

< 18,000 copper

< 18,000 copper

Figure 1. ADSL architecture

VDSL (Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line)

ILEC Central Office

Figure 2. VDSL architecture

ISDN connectivity to an ISP

Figure 3 below illustrates a typical ISDN user connectivity to an ISP.

ILEC Central Office

Figure 3. ISDN architecture

Cable modem connectivity to an ISP. Figure 4

Figure 4. HFC architecture

Cable modem access speed

PON (Passive Optical Network)

Fiber to the Home (FTTH)

FTTN - Fiber-to-the-node - fiber is terminated in a street cabinet up to several kilometers away

Fiber to the Premises

Mobile Wireless 3G, 4G and LTE

The following standards are typically branded 3G: