COMPTEL Caters to Members’ Hunger for Ethernet

CEN Feature (Sep 29 2011) Mobile Backhaul

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   Competitive carriers and suppliers that have Carrier Ethernet and Ethernet-over-copper (EoC) on their menu of services will have much to feast upon at the COMPTEL PLUS Fall 2011 Convention & EXPO, October 2-5 at the Gaylord Palms Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando.

   Over the past couple of years, COMPTEL’s members have exhibited a keen interest in all forms of Ethernet, according to CEO Jerry James. The organization has responded by providing attendees with special sessions and opportunities to learn more about incorporating Ethernet equipment and services at its Spring and Fall conventions.

   Co-located with the upcoming show is a Light Reading Summit entitled “Backhaul Strategies for Competitive Carriers” on Tuesday, Oct. 3. One topic the panels will address  is “Transitioning from TDM to Packet Technology in the Backhaul Network.” Panel members will explore how Carrier Ethernet and IP technologies present wireless carriers with a “fundamentally different operating paradigm” for backhaul than the more familiar TDM environment.

   Moderated by Carol Wilson, Chief Editor, Events for Light Reading, the panel will evaluate carriers’ progress migrating from TDM- to packet-based backhaul and discuss migration options, including getting rid of DS1’s altogether. Panelists include Dirk Tempel, director, Portfolio Strategy at BTI Systems; Paul Savill, senior vice president Transport & Infrastructure Services at Level 3 Communications; and Kurt Raaflaub, Ethernet and Optical Solutions Marketing in the Carrier Networks Division at ADTRAN.

   The rapid growth of the need for backhaul transport  has been one of the drivers for Ethernet because of the need for increased  bandwidth in such a short time frame, says James. Carrier Ethernet and EoC generally offers carriers a much better alternative than trying to ramp up T1s to meet demand their customer’s demand. T1s are not always available, they can have a higher cost  and it can take longer  to provision, he adds.

   Win-Win-Win

   The top three reasons COMPTEL’s members are deploying Ethernet are to transport backhaul traffic, to meet the needs of high-end enterprises and to serve businesses with multiple locations.

   As a result, many carriers are building fiber infrastructures closer and closer to their customers to exploit the readily available copper at the optimum distance for data transport. In addition to the extra bandwidth and the variety of services Ethernet supports, small- and medium-sized businesses appreciate Ethernet’s flexibility and lower cost, says James. Carriers and their customers like the fact that Ethernet adapts to their existing equipment, which helps them to grow their businesses quickly. Wholesalers are doing the same things as their retail counterparts, James adds.

   "So everyone is in transition and they have to be able to offer more than one response in their toolkits based on their customers’ requirements,” says James. “You can offer all the bonded Ethernet you want, but you need EoC and Ethernet-over-fiber, too. How much you need depends on your business model and what you are trying to deploy.”

   Overall, Ethernet is more robust than other technologies, says James. But a carrier’s choice of equipment, network architecture and ability to engineer their network properly is key, he adds.

   “That is why we always try to have sessions that provide Ethernet technology updates to our members,” he adds. Currently, COMPTEL members are interested in learning more about proper engineering on the front end in order to ensure that their solutions meet customers’ needs. They also want to learn more about making performance measurements so they can talk to their customers about quality of service and reliability, says James.

   Most of COMPTEL’s members are deploying Ethernet and some have been at it longer than others. However, all of them are past the beginning stage, says James. Most get a lot of their Ethernet expertise from their vendors or their wholesalers. In addition to the information that COMPTEL provides at its conventions, the organization offers its members webinars and white papers. The organization also goes before the FCC and Congress to ensure that regulators and lawmakers know how important it is to preserve last-mile access via existing copper and fiber.

   “We have been educating policymakers for several years that copper is not a dead resource, but an active, vibrant facility,” says James.

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