DSL Prime: Equipment

Lucent and Zhone lead the way to smaller equipment, while Linux and other operating systems vie for market share.

by Dave Burstein DSL Prime [March 28, 2003]

Conexant—Linux, Wind River, or Windows CE
Microsoft Windows CE has never been a factor in this market, after the set top box projects that essentially failed, but never underestimate Microsoft. They know how important the home network and video market will be, and Conexant wants to be ready when they deliver the next generation of products.

Meanwhile, Conexant has been quietly winning customers for ADSL modems, and their new network processor is one of the first to support Windows CE. An ARM9 core has the horsepower to run the many Linux apps that are competing strongly with the traditional VxWorks operating systems.

Also important, Jay Gottlieb emphasizes the VOIP capabilities of the new processor. The earlier version is already delivering voice to consumers at FastWeb in Italy, Europe's most innovative ISP.

Mindspeed spinning out with G.shdsl
Mindspeed's been operating as a separate division for two years, and they are taking with them a once leading position in symmetric DSL as they split from parent Conexant. Their SDSL chips dominated the generation of Copper Mountain and Nokia DSLAMs that built the CLEC networks, to the point of becoming a virtual standard. G.shdsl has more competitors and a tougher market, as the incumbents move slowly. Mindspeed was perhaps the first with 2 independent full-rate PCM ports, delivering 4640 Kbps up to 7,000 feet.

Linux going strong with chipmakers, designers
Steve Ellwood of LSI is also enthusiastic about Linux. "When a customer for our modem controller needs something special, we can usually find it on the net within a day and integrate it in a week. Since we need to bundle software with an inexpensive chip, the Linux saving is important, but the incredible software base may be even more important. I worked with a team of 65 people at Virata developing the software base, but with Linux tools I can develop with 10 percent of the effort."

LSI, like Broadcom, intends to deliver for DSL what they offer on the cable side, from 802.11 to MPEG processing for a TIVO-like box. "80 percent of the technology and software is the same, but Cable Labs and clear specifications make things smoother on the cable side. We're using MPEG-2 today, while making sure we're ready for MPEG-4 as the cost comes down."

Ofer Vilenski, whose Jungo Software is winning key designs in both DSL and cable, adds "DSL manufacturers should look to Linux as their software platform, due to its advanced architecture, which enables adding more advanced functionality to the CPE as this market matures. One of our customers, for example, a leading N.A. retail provider of DSL, Cable, and access points, is gradually switching products over to our Linux. Our silicon partners, including Intel, Conexant, IDT, and others, report demand for Linux-based platforms from their customers."

Lucent, Zhone getting smaller!
Zhone's at $150 list, Lucent puts 48 ports in a pizza box
Rumors of the demise of Lucent's DSL business are apparently premature. Lucent at CeBIT announced a new 48 port Stinger MRT, which they claim is the smallest in the world. They also got a public vote of confidence from Telekomunikacja Polska, who will use Lucent gear as they ramp towards 500,000 DSL customers. Sprint, which bought 2,000 Stingers for ION, will also add MRT, and Bell Canada is aggressively deploying to remotes as well.

Zhone's Raptor is a high end unit at a low end price. Eric Presworsky claims the highest density and lowest price per port. "It's $150 per port list, and most orders are large enough to pay less than list. We priced to compete with the Korean and Taiwanese vendors." The unit is essentially a reconfigured MALC next generation DLC: 5 Gbps backplane, environmentally hardened, NEBS compliant, with interfaces up to OC-12. Units range from a 24 port pizza box to a 7 RU that can fit 3,840 DSL ports into a 7 foot, 23 inch rack. A unique feature is field upgradability to full voice remote service for well under $10,000 per unit, just by adding a line card and upgrading the software.

Mory Ejabat and Jeanette Symons of Ascend formed Zhone at the end of the glory days, and the $500 million they raised allowed them to recently buy NEC eLuminant. In these hard times, they have several other purchase opportunities they are considering.

Port density and size issues
At least 5 companies claim they have the highest density DSLAM in press releases, confusing reporters and probably causing buyers to ignore everyone's assertions. Lucent was helpful, reporting their 19 inch pizza box held 48 ADSL ports but that with splitters only 36 ADSL ports fit into a 23-inch unit. DSL chips keep getting smaller, as do the network processors, memory and other semiconductors in the design.

Fujitsu announced a 24 port stackable aimed at the British market, Adtran's mini unit is on the short list in several North American bids, and Asian vendors like DQ are making inroads as well.

Splitters now take up more room than the DSL chips themselves, making the small footprint of Leacom's active splitters an interesting alternative.

Copyright 2003 Dave Burstein.
The DSL Prime Newsletter is reprinted with permission.

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