Broadband Forum Launches BroadbandSuite™ 6.1: Superfast Broadband Toolkit

News Highlights: x Broadband 6.1 empowers operators to enhance DSL deployments to effectively deliver superfast broadband services x Improves quality measurement for DSL management, architecture and network requirements x Enhances global testing standards for VDSL2 24 April 2013, Paris – The Broadband Forum announced this week at DSL Acceleration the launch of a comprehensive release, BroadbandSuite 6.1 that gives service providers the tools required to provide the speed and stability needed to effectively deliver superfast broadband services such as IPTV. This announcement comes at a time when the growth of bandwidth-hungry broadband services is driving operators to look for new ways to get more speed and stability from their broadband infrastructure. BroadbandSuite 6.1 offers practical implementation resources, functional and performance test plans, and best practice specification for DSL quality assurance, including: Technical Specifications: TR-114i2: “VDSL2 Performance Test Plan” TR-115i2: “VDSL2 Functionality Test Plan” TR-273: “Testing of Bonded Multi-pair Systems” TR-286: “Testing of MELT Functionality on xDSL Ports” TR-188i2: “DSL Quality Suite” Click here for the complete list of specifications in BroadbandSuite 6.1 Whitepapers: MR-180: “IPTV over DSL Anywhere” MR-257: “An Overview of G.993.5 Vectoring” MR-261: “IPTV Home Networking Series: Splitters”BroadbandSuite 6.1 is a vital resource of global test plans, setting the bar for ADSL2plus and VDSL2 function and performance. It also defines vectoring and bonding options for supercharging DSL, and key methods for improving quality measurements, IPTV service delivery and techniques for DSL network management. Robin Mersh, CEO of the Broadband Forum said: “BroadbandSuite 6.1 gives operators a way to boost their existing copper deployments as a valuable part of the multi-access platform that is emerging around the world. High speed VDSL2 works well with fiber, providing Operators the ability to capitalize on existing investments whilst effectively engineering hybrid FTTx solutions to minimize costs, all the while maximizing speed and reach of their superfast broadband networks.” BroadbandSuite 6.1 gives operators the ability to better architect a standards-based network design. The test plans forge greater interoperability and consistent multiservice delivery in the field. Overall BroadbandSuite 6.1 provides the tools necessary for service providers to leverage copper deployments into high speed DSL access, making it a valuable player in today’s converged superfast broadband network. First tier telecomm accessories supply This white paper originally published here

Ikanos: Our 192 Port Vector VDSL Chips Are In Customer Tests

Builds custom chassis to show off 100 meg on every port. “Customers probably will delay volume deployments until late in 2014. Our chip is production ready and will be available well before that,” Kourosh Amiri of Ikanos tells me. It’s an impressive chip, designed for node scale vectoring of 384 ports. It does full cancellation of noise in all tones, which Ikanos claims is substantially more effective than the competition’s “partial cancellation.” A ten gigabit serdes is built in to support the high speed interconnect needed for this kind of performance. (The picture shows Ikanos' reference chassis supporting 384 ports at 100 megabits.) Contrary to Deutsche Telekom’s claims that it’s “impossible” to unbundle vectored VDSL, Ikanos is perfectly comfortable with two ISPs sharing the binder. “As long as the two DSLAMs are within about 50 meters, we can communicate between them and cancel noise on all lines,” adds Amiri. Telecom Italia and Fastweb have an official memorandum of understanding they will do just that. http://bit.ly/WR6tug Each is passing several million homes with fiber/DSL, often in the same node. Huawei, #2 DSLAM vendor to Alcatel, is understood to have the contract and presumably will choose Ikanos chips. Ikanos is serious about interoperability. “If you manufacture VDSL chips, bring a board to our labs and we’ll be glad to test with you.” They claim they are working closely with their lead competitor and expect few problems in interop. Promises, promises I’ve been hearing from everyone in VDSL for a decade, so I’ll remain skeptical of everyone’s claims until they are proven in the field.Thursday, 04 April 2013 22:09 First tier telecomm accessories supply Original Article here

22 applications for Myanmar mobile license

Dylan Bushell-Embling | April 08, 2013 telecomasia.net The Myanmar government has received 22 applications from bidders interested in acquiring one of two new mobile licenses in the untapped telecom market. Myanmar deputy minister of national planning and economic development, Set Aung, told AFP that 22 companies or consortia had submitted pre-qualification applications in time for the August 4 deadline. The government hasn't named all the applicants, but plans to announce the list of companies which have been pre-qualified on Thursday. But ahead of this announcement, a source close to the process has provided TMT Finance with what is purportedly a list of all the initial applicants. The list includes 18 telecom operators – some of whom have already publicly announced their intention to apply – and several investment company consortia. Operators on the list include Malaysia's Axiata, Vietnam's Viettel, India's Bharti Airtel, China Telecom, SingTel, France Telecom/Orange and South Africa's MTN. First tier telecomm accessories supply This white paper originally published here

Vectored DSL - How It Works

Cancelling noise can double short loop speeds. Telco networks are generally built with 25 lines joined together in a binder like the picture. Each active wire generates crosstalk "noise" which interferes with the lines around it, reducing their speed. Cancel the noise and the lines can run faster. In practice, speed doubles to 70-100 meg down, 10-40 meg up, over short loops up to about 300 meters. Up to about 100 meters, a related standard G.fast, promises 200+ megabits. Bond two pair and you inexpensively (less than $125/home) double the speed again. As loops get longer, the crosstalk noise becomes less of a factor and the speed is limited more by the resistance of the copper wire itself and other kinds of noise, like AM radio. Over about 1,000 meters, vectoring has almost no impact. So vectoring matters if and only if you have a box fairly close to the customer. These "neighborhood nodes" can be small; you can connect 48 homes with a "pizza box" DSLAM. The boxes themselves are usually connected by fiber to the exchange. "Fiber" is a magic word and a brilliant AT&T lobbyist came up with the name "fiber to the node," FTTN. It worked; AT&T's node DSL build, U-Verse, got major government concessions. Stanford Prefessor John Cioffi and his former student George Ginis developed the idea back in 2002. The name comes from the vector mathematics used to calculate the noise cancellation. They couldn't demonstrate at the time because the calculations for 25 pairs running at 100 megabits were impractical. As Moore's Law improved chip performance, demonstration systems from ECI and Lantiq began showing in 2009. By 2011, Alcatel demonstrated production-oriented systems that were tested in 2011-2012 at carriers including Swisscom and Belgacom. The results were outstanding, confirming the 70-100 meg speeds. European carriers including Deutsche Telekom and Telecom Italia abandoned fiber plans and switched to the much cheaper vectored DSL. By late 2012, numerous problems emerged from early field trials. Carriers including Belgacom and Deutsche Telekom decided to delay substantial deployments until late 2013 or even 2014. Everyone is confident the problems will be quickly resolved with minor changes in the gear and the software managing the networks. Deutsche Telecom remain confident of deploying 12M to 24M lines in four years. The Germans in particular are anxious to deploy quickly because the cable guys are kiling them. DOCSIS 3 in Europe can offer "up to 200 megabits" down because EuroDOCSIS uses 8 MHz channels. Kabel Deutschland's standard offer is "twice the speed of Deutsche Telekom DSL for the same price." Kabel committed to early deployment of gigabit DOCSIS, perhaps by yearend 2013. Deutsche Telekom's estimate of cost is EUR 6 billion for 24 million homes, less than $450/home passed. Telecom Italia and AT&T have lower estimates. I use a figure of "about $400" for short discussions. VDSL DSLAMs sold for an average price of $38/port in 2012, although if you aren't buying in the millions you'll likely pay a much higher price. Adding vectoring raises the bill of materials by only a few dollars per port, but first to market Alcatel is looking to charge a 100% premium for vector. As Huawei, Adtran, ECI, Calix and others ship systems, the price will come down. Those DSLAMs need to be installed in field cabinets and connected by fiber to the exchange. Most customers need new modems. But at $50/month, three year revenue for VDSL is $1800. The investment is so quickly paid off it fits within the typical telco capex budget. The saving compared to fiber is at least $500/home and possibly $1500-$2000/home. Thursday, 04 April 2013 16:03 First tier telecomm accessories supply Original Article here