I'm pretty sure I'm not the first to read about this in our local paper,
but Sprint announced their new strategy for integrating voice, data, video
over "standard phone lines." They are calling this the Integrated
On-Demand Network or ION for short. It sounds an awful lot like ISDN
services from perhaps an ESS switch (8 viable bonded channels max) versus
the DMS100 (2 bonded channels max).
Our local Sprint outlet, to whom I am contracted to administer several
pieces of their local dial in access project has just about finished
installed the DMS100 switch (yep...we don't have ISDN yet around here).
According to the Sprint Internal press release "Sprint today" they intend
to completely change their local technologies (scrap the old, in with the
new) instead of upgrading their existing network like other carriers.
Announced also was the fact that Cisco Systems has been
designing/testing/developing the hardware to make this project work, with
BellCore doing the software for the project. Rollout to major business is
expected to happen in large markets sometime yet this year with residential
offerings happening sometime in 1999.
Has anyone heard any additional information or have any more insight into
this announcement? I am curious how this might affect the remainder of the
industry.
Kevin Brown
Huber & Associates, Inc.
Networking Technologies
kbrown@primelink.com
http://www.primelink.com/haa/lanwan
An article I read in USAToday this morning over breakfast says it's
just ATM to the home.
I also just found the same article on the USAToday web site, searching
for "Sprint". The article is titled "A closer look at Sprint's new plan."
- paul
Date: Wed, 03 Jun 1998 10:46:32 -0500
From: kbrown@primelink.com
Subject: Sprint's New ION products
To: nanog@merit.edu
I'm pretty sure I'm not the first to read about this in our local paper,
but Sprint announced their new strategy for integrating voice, data, video
over "standard phone lines." They are calling this the Integrated On-Demand
Network or ION for short. It sounds an awful lot like ISDN services from
perhaps an ESS switch (8 viable bonded channels max) versus the DMS100 (2
bonded channels max).
Naw. It sounds like XDSL (maybe with a POTS filter). Colocation with LECS
(AT&T is proposing this after sueing Qwest for doing the same thing) and using
the LEC copper. Voice and data switching in the colo pulling the stuff off
the copper pair to the customer. Buy local telephone service from the LEC and
do data and LD themselves.
Our local Sprint outlet, to whom I am contracted to administer several
pieces of their local dial in access project has just about finished
installed the DMS100 switch (yep...we don't have ISDN yet around here).
According to the Sprint Internal press release "Sprint today" they intend to
completely change their local technologies (scrap the old, in with the new)
instead of upgrading their existing network like other carriers.
Announced also was the fact that Cisco Systems has been
designing/testing/developing the hardware to make this project work, with
BellCore doing the software for the project. Rollout to major business is
expected to happen in large markets sometime yet this year with residential
offerings happening sometime in 1999.
Has anyone heard any additional information or have any more insight into this
announcement? I am curious how this might affect the remainder of the
industry.
Kevin Brown
Huber & Associates, Inc.
Networking Technologies
kbrown@primelink.com
http://www.primelink.com/haa/lanwan
Dave Nordlund d-nordlund@ukans.edu
University of Kansas 785/864-0450
Computing Services FAX 913/864-0485
Lawrence, KS 66045 KANREN
An article at wired.com had a little more detail than the marketing hype
that dominated the Sprint press release.
The only additional details that emerged were as follows:
1. The Sprint backbone that ION relies on will be the ATM network that
they've been working on.
2. For the end user, Sprint is going to be reselling various LECs'
ADSL offerings and then charging an extra $200 to install a metering
device at the end user's location.
It's not apparent as to whether ION for both the business user and the
home user will rely on a LEC's ADSL (a scary thought).
Following the ION announcement has been singularly frustrating due to the
absence of any technical content in their announcements.
Jeff
I believe it's IP/PPP/ATM/DSL to the home, and IP/Tag/ATM/Sonet in the
backbone. Are there any expected dates for deployment?
The most troubling thing to me about the ION plan is that it
seems to revolve around the idea of using LEC local loops to
deliver service to home customers. The LECs are not going to
be enthusiastic about providing an unbundled loop to
facilitate being cut out of their long-distance termination
fees. This could be a very slow roll for Sprint.
This problem will not become acute until they begin
deploying residential service, as many/most business
customers (the initial targets) will be "on-net" with CLECS
who are already interconnected with Sprint. It might be that
Sprint is hoping/praying for regulatory/statutory
intercession before they try to penetrate the residential
market en masse.
I love the telecommunications business...
--Tom
==== ====
Tom Walton
Director of Strategic Consulting 703-709-7500
Dimension Enterprises, Inc 225 Van Buren, Suite 180
twalton@dimension.net Herndon, Virginia 20170 - USA