Buying Tips
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.
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.
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.