SCREAMing for Better DSL

Through release 3 of its SCREAM service creation platform, net.com now offers QServ, which enables tiered IP QoS guarantees to be delivered across a non-IP-aware ATM access infrastructure, or “plain old DSL,” as the company refers to it; uses only a single ATM virtual circuit provisioned to the customer premises; and allows for cost-effective delivery of new broadband services without radical changes to the existing provisioning equipment and methodology, says Steve Shaw, net.com’s director of industry relations.

QServ and release 3 of SCREAM were unveiled last month at SUPERCOMM. SCREAM is a box that sits behind the DSLAM in a central office. QServ’s QoS capabilities are based on the TR-059 specification from The DSL Forum. Shaw says the spec was written and developed by Bell Canada, BellSouth, SBC Communications and Verizon, which began work on it about two years ago in an effort to upgrade DSL networks at minimal cost to support QoS.

TR-059 discusses three components. It specifies a remote gateway/next-generation modem manages QoS. That links into a policy manager, which is software that tracks what services are selected, makes sure that information is supported by the network infrastructure and is sent to the billing system. And it says a next-generation broadband remote access server will manage the amount of bandwidth each subscriber receives.

At SUPERCOMM, net.com staged a TR-059 demonstration with Bridgewater and 2Wire.net.com also is in trials with at least one service provider.

“We’re doing some work with Bezeq [of Israel], and they are in the process of being privatized and see tremendous threat from cablecos and satellite companies, so they want to add interactive TV and a walled garden a la AOL,” says Shaw. “Bezeq had been talked into doing different ATM PVCs for each service they wanted to provide, but they realized each DSL modem could only support one PVC. And their internal switching infrastructure would require an investment of $10 per month per VC.”

net.com told Bezeq it could instead offer a variety services to a home over one PVC but with multiple PPP address.

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