Competitive Technology


For a Technology Comparison (speed and bandwidth per dollar) chart click here.


  • FTTx

    FTTx refers to a series of networking technologies [FTTN, FTTC, FTTB, FTTH] that run optical fiber from the central office to a user's neighborhood, curb, building or home. Though the optical fiber is relatively inexpensive, optical transmitters and receivers are very costly. As a result, fiber to the home is not a practical solution for delivering residential data services. Due to the nature of the Japanese industry/economy, many network operators claim that, in their country, it costs no more to build a FttH network than it does to build a hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) network. So, it is expected that most of the tests and early deployments of this technology will come out of Japan. For other parts of the world, fiber to the neighborhood, fiber to the curb, or fiber to the building are more feasible.

    Vendors
  • Optical Solutions
  • Alcatel
  • Broadband Technologies
  • General Instrument
  • R&D Partnership - BellSouth and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
    Corp. (Japan)

    Deployments
  • The Blair Telephone Company/ Blair, NE
  • All West Communications / Salt Lake City, Utah,
  • Futureway Communications Inc. / Canada
  • Rye Telephone Company / Colorado City, CO

    Trials
  • City of Palo Alto Utilities Staff / Palo Alto, CA
  • East Otter Tail Telephone Company / Otter Tail, MN

    Papers and Articles
  • Prospects for Fiber to the Home (FTTH) - 1997
  • Fiber-to-the-Home: East Otter Tail Phone Company Builds for the Future - 1996


  • ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network)

    ISDN is a set of standards allowing twisted pair or optical fiber to carry digitalized voice, video and data. An ISDN line can carry up to 128Kbps of data. Data and telephony service can also be accessed simultaneously. A couple of years ago, ISDN service was considered to be a non-factor in the residential market, because of the high monthly fees associated with the service. However, today, ISDN rates have been significantly lowered and it is becoming a legitimate alternative to analog service. While ISDN will always have a share of the high-speed connectivity market, the technology is limited to 128 Kbps and thus, is in a different class than the technologies that can support megabytes per second.

    Papers and Tutorials
  • ISDN - What Is It
  • ISDN - A Techie's View
  • Introduction To ISDN
  • ISDN User's Guide


  • SATELLITES

    GEOs (Geostationary Satellites)

    GEOs refers to satellites that are placed in a fixed location high above the earth. These satellites provide consumers with DirectTV and DBS and they are also capable of providing high-speed internet access. Today, all data services offered via satellite require a telephone return.

    Service Providers
  • NSN Network Services' InSAT
  • Hughes' DirectPC

    Papers
  • Satellite Communications in the Global Internet: Issues, Pitfalls, and
    Potential
  • Satellite Communications In The 21st Century


    LEOs (Low Earth Orbit Satellites)

    LEOs refer to satellites that are placed in a low orbit around the earth. Though providers can support voice, video and data, most services focus on telephony and those that offer data rates, only offer support of analog data rates. However, Teledesic plans to launch a large number of LEOs that will be capable of offering high-speed internet access anywhere around the world.

    Service Providers
  • Teledesic
  • Globalstar
  • OrbComm
  • SkyBridge

    Papers
  • Providing Global Broadband Internet Access Using Low-Earth-Orbit
    Satellites
  • Low Earth Orbiting Satellites and Internet-Based Messaging Services


  • POWERLINE AREA NETWORKS (ACCESS VIA UTILITY POWER GRIDS)

    For several years, there has been talk about traditional power companies providing high-speed access via their existing power grids. However, the biggest obstacle has been that data is scrambled when it passes through transformers. This obstacle is slowly being conquered as several companies continue to work towards a solution.

    Nortel networks has successfully tested networks in Europe and Asia, where the transformer-to-customer ration is 1/300. They have successfully bypassed the transformers, but their speed capabilities have been limited to that comparable with cable modems and xDSL. Data is transferred through the actual power wiring.



    Vendors
  • Nortel Networks/Norweb Communications
  • Ascom PLC

    Home Networking Vendors
  • Cogency Semiconductor Inc. (formerly Power Trunk)

    Trials
  • Energie Balden-Wurttemberg (EnBW), in Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
  • United Utilities, in Manchester, England
  • CityTel, in Milan, Italy
  • ENEL, in Rome, Italy (currently video only)

    Articles and papers
  • Microsoft and AT&T Beware: The Writing is on the Wall
  • Internet Via Power Lines
  • Telecom Power: Electrifying Data
  • Powerline: The future of broadband?
  • Power Play Could Be Local Access Shocker
  • The Last Mile Over the Electricity Supply Grid


  • NIU EMBEDDED MODEMS

    Unmodems, a term used by Philips Broadband Networks, refers to high-speed connectivity through hybrid fiber/coax or FttH or FttC networks using a network interface unit [NIU] at the customer premises rather than an external or PC-installed cable modem. Systems using NIUs usually support both data and telephony. Since the technology can be utilized by cable operators, it is not actually a competitive technology to the cable industry. However, it is a competitive alternative to cable modems.

    Vendors
  • Ericsson
  • Tellabs
  • Phillips


  • WIRELESS CABLE (Multichannel Multipoint Distribution System, or MMDS)

    Operators that offer wireless video service can also offer data services. MMDS operators can offer telco return service and with the emergence of LMDS, operators will be capable of supporting bi-directional services.

    Vendors
  • Cellularvision
  • General Instrument
  • Hybrid Networks
  • Integrity
  • Harmonic Data Systems
  • Nortel
  • Texas Instruments


  • xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line)

    xDSL refers to a series of networking technologies [ADSL, HSDL, SDSL, UDSL] that are capable of supporting high data rates over the existing telephone network. The technology is benefited by the extensive infrastructure that exists and by the heavy capitalization associated with the telephone industry. At present, equipment costs are considerably higher than those for data networks developed to run over HFC networks. However, the technology is destined to improve and become more cost effective. Over the next five years, xDSL and particularly, ADSL is considered to be the greatest threat to the cable modem industry.

    Papers
  • xDSL: Local Loop Access Technology
  • ADSL: Savior of Mankind or Spawn of the Devil?

    Other Resources
  • xDSL Online
  • ADSL Forum
  • ADSL


  • PAPERS AND ARTICLES COMPARING HIGH-SPEED TECHNOLOGIES

  • Will The Real High-Speed Internet Access Technology Please Stand Up? - 1997
  • Midband Now, Broadband When? - 1996
  • Scientific America's High Speed Data Races Home


    CATV CyberLab (Home)