Boosting bandwidth over copper lines
G.shdsl gear from Symmetricom enables speeds above a T-1.
 
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Symmetricom last week rolled out single-pair high-bit-rate DSL devices that are designed to let businesses bond several DSL lines together to fill the bandwidth gap between T-1 and T-3.
"There are many business customers leasing T-1 lines," says Jon Cordova, an analyst with Infonetics Research. "The problem is a lot of those people are running out of bandwidth and can't afford, or don't need, a T-3."
Businesses that can access fiber can upgrade their bandwidths by going with a metropolitan Ethernet service. The problem is that only about 3% of the small and midsize businesses in the U.S. have direct fiber connections, says Donald Skipwith, vice president of business development with Symmetricom.
Symmetricom's new GoWide products let service providers deliver big bandwidth over copper rather than fiber. The GoWide Enterprise 15 Mbps is an integrated access device that bonds up to eight DSL lines together for a 15M bit/sec connection and also supports T-1 voice.
The GoWide IP 9.2 Mbps supports up to four bonded DSL lines for a 9.2M bit/sec link.
Competitive providers will likely be the first to roll out Symmetricom's products, Infonetics' Cordova says.
"The [incumbent local exchange carriers] don't tend to do anything unless they're forced into it," he says.
While single-pair high-bit-rate DSL, also known as G.shdsl, has been slow to roll out in North America, Cordova says there should be some significant deployments next year.
A number of providers have unveiled G.shdsl wares, but Cordova says Symmetricom is one of the first to roll out an option for bonding multiple lines into one larger connection.
In addition to the new GoWide models, Symmetricom ships the GoWide IP 2.3 Mbps and the GoWide 4.6 Mbps.
New market
Symmetricom has been around for many years producing network synchronization products, which still account for the majority of the firm's revenue.
Recently, the company began branching into the DSL market. The company manufactures a DSL loop extender, known as GoLong, which boosts the distance from a central office that a DSL signal can travel.
In mid-October, Symmetricom acquired some assets and products from Telmax Communications. This acquisition is playing a key role in the development of the GoWide line.
The new GoWide products are available now and range in price from $500 to $10,000, depending on their functionality.
| Broadband bonding Symmetricom's GoWide boxes combine multiple G.shdsl lines to form one large pipe. |
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