New Cross-Connect Systems

October 17, 2000 -- NHC Communications announced two new products in its new ControlPoint line of advanced, robotics-based cross-connect products.

According to the company, ControlPoint is NHC's integrated cross-connect system that uses robotic technology to fully automate the physical layer. The new ControlPoint 5400 is supposed to be the largest version of the system made specifically for the central office locations of ILECs and CLECs.

The company says that its ControlPoint 5400 can cross connect up to 5,400 lines, or may be configured sequentially (daisy-chained) to allow for management of as many as 16,200 lines in one system. The ControlPoint 5400 may allow ILECs and large CLECS to better manage their central office locations, enable greater ILEC control of CLEC co-location cable management, and facilitate large-scale line sharing for DSL services.

ControlPoint 800RT (remote terminal) is NHC's response to customer demand to extend the ControlPoint management capabilities to remote locations to serve the demand for DSL services. The ControlPoint 800RT is supposed to be a significant technological advancement because it is designed to be weather-hardened to withstand extreme temperatures throughout North America. The company claims that its ControlPoint 800RT is the first cross-connect solution that has been tested to perform reliably and consistently under extreme outdoor conditions.

The system should cross connect up to 800 lines in a highly compact chassis. This chassis is small enough to fit most recent remote terminal applications, thus allowing for CLEC co-location at existing remote terminals.

"Remote terminals are essential to the extension of DSL services beyond the limits of central office locations, and represent more than 100,000 locations in the United States alone," said Sylvain Abitbol, President and CEO, NHC Communications. "We believe this is the single biggest market in the cross-connect solutions industry."

With these additions, NHC says that it provides the most comprehensive line of cross- connect products in the market, and the only copper cross connect to support path redundancy (50:1) in the matrix. ControlPoint may allow service providers to control all copper-based services, including DSL, regardless of where the providers' customers are located. ControlPoint may also reduce labor costs induced by on-site wiring jobs.