Chipsets extend FTTP and FTTH services over copper.
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Press Release Summary:
Fx(TM) chipsets integrate into devices deployed for Passive Optical Networking and other types of optical access. Equipment vendors can develop line cards that extend fiber-based services at 100 Mbps over single copper pair. Carriers can take advantage of last-mile copper to deliver voice, ultra high-speed data, and HDTV. Fx family includes 4-port Fx 7030 and Fx 10050 chipsets and single-port Fx 10050S. OS-independent APIs enable integration into existing software.
Original Press Release:
Ikanos Communications' Fx(TM) Family of Fiber-Extension Products Makes Delivery of 100 Mbps to Every Consumer a Reality
Ikanos' Newest Programmable Chipset is the First to Extend FTTx Services at 100 Mbps Over Existing Copper Pairs for Mass Deployment of Voice, Data, and HDTV
Fremont, Calif., March 8, 2004 - Ikanos Communications, developer of Smart Silicon for Profitable Broadband(TM), today announced the introduction of its Fx(TM) family of chipsets, the first programmable silicon solutions to extend Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) and Fiber to the Home (FTTH) services over copper. Designed to integrate into devices deployed for Passive Optical Networking (PON) and other types of optical access, the Fx family allows equipment vendors to develop line cards that extend fiber-based services at 100 Mbps over a single copper pair. With the Fx solution, carriers can deploy fiber to the neighborhood, curb, or building and take advantage of last-mile copper to deliver a comprehensive suite of high-value services, including voice, ultra high-speed data, and the fast growing High Definition Television (HDTV). Fx technology enables telecom carriers to greatly accelerate mass provisioning of FTTx services, while cutting CapEx per subscriber to as low as $300, compared with more than $14,000 per subscriber for fiber-based alternatives.
"Carriers worldwide realize they must offer triple-play services to remain competitive, as cable and satellite providers are actively marketing these applications," said Richard Sekar, vice president of marketing at Ikanos. "Fiber-only approaches have two strikes against them: it will take years to trench fiber to every customer, and the cost of doing so is hard to justify -especially when most consumers already have a copper connection to their home. Ikanos' Fx chipsets give equipment vendors and carriers another alternative, one that integrates into and complements fiber installations. Ikanos' Fx is field-proven - within the last 18 months, Ikanos' Fx technology has enabled more than 800,000 subscribers in Japan and Korea to enjoy fiber-speed services."
"Ikanos' Fx product family has been integral to Sumitomo's FTTH market-leadership in Japan, " said Mr. Yoshikazu Nishiwaki, senior general manager, Sumitomo Electric Networks, Inc. "En masse, the cost and prolonged infrastructure build-outs associated with installing fiber to the subscriber premise are the primary hurdles to rapid deployment of FTTx services. By delivering 100 Mbps over copper, Ikanos has effectively solved both problems."
Fx 7030, Fx 10050, and Fx 10050S: Fiber Speeds over Copper
The Ikanos Fx family includes the four-port Fx 7030 and Fx 10050 chipsets, designed for systems to complement Optical Line Terminals (OLTs), Optical Network Units (ONUs), routers, switches, and fiber concentrators; and the single-port Fx 10050S, for Subscriber Located Equipment (SLE). All Fx chipsets are programmable to integrate into either ATM or Ethernet/IP infrastructures. Furthermore, Ikanos chipsets provide on-chip Quality of Service (QoS), ensuring superior performance guarantees on premium Service Level Agreements (SLAs). The Fx family of chipsets supports asymmetric or symmetrical applications and is micro-programmable in flexible 64 kbps increments. The Fx 7030 delivers speeds up to 70 Mbps downstream and 30 Mbps upstream or symmetric speeds of 30 Mbps, while the Fx 10050 provides 100 Mbps downstream and 50 Mbps upstream or symmetric speeds of 50 Mbps, the industry's fastest speeds over copper. The Fx 10050S is the universal SLE, adapting automatically to support both Fx 7030 and Fx 10050 connectivity without end user configuration. By using Fx and FxS in concert, multi-service access suppliers can develop powerful solutions that provide complete end-to-end programmability, including an auto-configurable interface for simple subscriber self-installation. Fx-based broadband services are spectrally compatible with existing access services, such as POTS, ISDN, and xDSL. OS-independent Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) enable easy integration into existing management software.
"Telcos throughout the world are realizing that customers will soon need more bandwidth than today's DSL solutions can offer," said Pat Hurley, Director of Research at TeleChoice, Inc., a telecommunications industry management consultancy. "While FTTH is the best solution, it is a long-term solution. Technologies, like Ikanos' Fx chipset, which can leverage the copper network and still provide 100 Mbps to the customer, can provide carriers with a means of achieving future-proof bandwidth delivery today."
On-Chip Quality of Service
The Fx chipset provides a unique toolset that allows carriers to dynamically assign bandwidth to different applications and apply QoS policies. The Fx chipset supports all the standard ATM QoS mechanisms, including CBR, VBR-rt, VBR-nrt, UBR, and ABR. At the physical layer, the chipset supports two distinct traffic paths that can be separately configured during provisioning and assigned different speeds and QoS levels, both to ATM and Ethernet/IP traffic. This on-chip QoS enables carriers to enforce and guarantee service-level agreements and guarantee the delivery of high-speed bandwidth over existing copper wiring. Should user requirements change, carriers can redefine the characteristics of the two application paths from their Network Operations Center by using the Fx's chip-level programmability.
Pricing and Availability
Fx 7030 and Fx 10050S are shipping in volume and Fx 10050 is currently sampling. Prices range from $26 to $30 per port depending on volume.
About Ikanos Communications
Founded in 1999 and based in the Silicon Valley, Ikanos Communications develops and markets highly programmable chipsets that exceed 100 Mbps over a single copper pair. Ikanos' silicon solutions enable access equipment vendors to serve many different customers while slashing time to market and lowering development, manufacturing, and inventory costs.
Ikanos is the first mover in the fiber extension over copper market and was the first to introduce VDSL-DMT line code technology, which is now the dominant technology for VDSL. Ikanos works closely with both equipment vendors and carriers worldwide to optimize its technology for each market. To date, Ikanos' technology is deployed in some of the largest carrier networks in the world in Japan, Korea, and in Europe.
Ikanos' comprehensive offering encompasses silicon, embedded software, reference designs, high-level APIs, and extensive documentation. Ikanos is a member of, and contributes to, ANSI, the IEEE 802.3 EFM Study Group, DSL Forum, and ITU-T. For additional information about Ikanos, please visit the Web site at www.ikanos.com or contact Jeannette Bitz at Engage PR, jbitz@engagepr.com, 1.510.748.8200 ext. 207.
Ikanos Communications, Ikanos, and the Ikanos logo design are trademarks of Ikanos Communications. All Rights Reserved.
