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MULTIPLEXER: Programmable Enough?

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VoicenData Bureau
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Indian operators are faced with two big challenges today–one building business

with many revenue channels and value-added services to make up the margin, and

two, provisioning dedicated voice and data link over the last mile, quickly and

affordably. Multiplexers being those points in the telecom network where

different traffics merge or segregate from core to access and from access to

core, they are critical units of the network that make a direct impact on the

business done by a telecom service provider.

As the customer today requires different types of links with different media

and the ability to efficiently carry different kinds of applications over them,

multiplexers must be in a position to meet these heterogeneous demands. And as

the load of telecom network increases, the significance of the right

multiplexers–with good throughput, service provisioning and easy manageability–can

be easily gauged.

n Speed

Programmability:
This is a critical aspect for service providers due to the

fact that multiplexer node from a PoP should be capable of supporting

residential broadband/SME/corporate customers at a speed desired by them. Also,

an existing customer, having opted for a particular speed, may wish to upgrade

or downgrade the speed, depending on a change in the need over a period of time.

Hence it is important that multiplexer should support flexibility of bandwidth

provisioning through the speed programmability feature.

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n Wide Choice

of Cards/Supported Standards:
This enhances the flexibility and versatility

of the multiplexer. This is a key a factor to be considered if future changes or

expansion of the network is envisaged.

n Support for

Multiple Access Technologies and Standards:
The subscribers may be

geographically distributed around a PoP over varying distances, ranging from 1

km to 5 km and may be in need of different types of access circuits supporting

different needs. Hence, the multiplexer should be capable of supporting all DSL

interfaces through addition of corresponding functional modules in the

multiplexer node. DSL standards like HDSL/ADSL/SDSL/VDSL have to be supported.

With the convergence of CATV networks and Ethernet LAN with various WAN

technologies, there is a need for the multiplexer to be able to provision both

cable TV and gigabit Ethernet link.

n Media

Flexibility:
A very important requirement is versatility in supporting

multiple options like copper, fiber and radio in addition to point-to-point and

multipoint bandwidth provisioning. Different users want different speeds and

quality of services. A service provider cannot provide these without the

multiplexer providing all types of media.

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n Time-of-the-day

Programmability:
Access circuit speed of a customer may have to be changed

on the fly at a very short notice, depending on the time-of-the-day requirements

supporting bulk data transfer batch processing and enquiry and response as well

as broadcasting requirements. The multiplexer must be able to fulfill these

requirements.

n Versatility

in Programming of Physical Interfaces:
The service provider’s network

topology keeps changing from the point of view of parenting relationship,

depending on the hierarchical evolution of the network. Physical interfaces in

the network, both on the trunk side or the access side could need frequent

changes. If trunk interface programmability is supported then trunk speeds

should be capable of getting increased online from say 2 Mbps to 155 Mbps. This

will enable the network to take care of sudden demand for bandwidth.

Market Information

Primarily a DoT/MTNL market till the recent past, multiplexers are in more

demand as private service providers gear up to provide multiple services through

different media and technologies in their access network. Service providers

require multiplexers both at the Class 4 and Class 5 exchanges where the various

pipes of bandwidth carrying internal traffic as well as the traffic from

corporate and other bulk users converge into the long haul trunks. The

multiplexer market in India is mainly controlled by Alcatel, MRO-Tek and Tellabs.

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