Description of Broadband Delivery Technologies

There are six basic technologies for obtaining high-speed communications/Internet services in commercial buildings and residences. These are

  • T-1 or T-3 leased services through a local telephone company or reseller
  • Fiber optic services, either private or public access networks
  • Cable modem applications through local cable companies
  • DSL (digital subscriber line) service through a local telephone company or reseller
  • Fixed Wireless and Satellite

Delivery Technologies

Traditional High-speed Internet Delivery – ISDN, T-1, T-3

From the early 1990s an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) line traditionally provided a cost effective way to obtain Internet service at twice the speed of a dial-up modem. ISDN uses existing telephone network and combines voice, fax and data services over a single phone. It offers availability, reliability and security beyond the more recent DSL, cable modem and wireless delivery options. Speed for a two-channel Basic Rate Interface (BRI) ISDN connections is 128 Kbps, twice the speed of dial-up modems. It should service the needs of typical home users or small offices at a relatively low cost from your local telephone company.

A T-1 leased facility is a copper-based secure connection that offers a 24 64 Kbps channel primary rate interface (PRI) ISDN voice and data services, for a total of 1.544 Mbps. Channels are assigned either to voice or data services. The service will handle Internet and voice telephone needs for most 15-20 person offices. Typical costs for a T-1 line is available at a cost of $500-$1200 per month from telephone companies.

For larger offices or data applications, a T-3, a leased facility equivalent to 28 T-1 facilities, carries total bandwidth capacity of approximately 45 Mbps over its 672 channels. A T-3 will provide very high speed voice, data, and video transmission, commonly seen to extend a campus network across a WAN, or for other high capacity communication applications..

All of the local telephone companies will provide ISDN, T-1 and T-3 services.

Fiber Optic

Fiber Optic services are often the choice today for users with the need to transmit huge amounts of voice, data and image. Data speeds range from a low of OC3 (155 megabits per second, or Mbps) upwards to OC192 (10 gigabit per second or Gbps). Currently the Internet backbone is OC48 (2.5 Gbps). Some venders will break down the service to a T-1 (1.5 Mbps) level at about the same cost.

Fiber comes in several flavors. Companies can own and light their own fiber to link locations. Purchase dark fiber and providing the electronics and management of a private network is the most expensive solution at the outset, but also the most secure. Installing dark fiber can run upwards of $15,000 per mile. Companies also have the option of leasing fiber in a private network or a point-to-point connection, paying a monthly fee for a provider to supply a broadband channel of a particular speed, for example OC3, for full and private use of the channel. The major limitation is that the fiber optic cable must be available at the locations in order to make the connection. Fiber optic service providers will often install cable for large broadband users.

Customers may also be able to get high-speed fiber optic service through connections to a publicly accessible fiber or SONET or Gigabyte network. Rates for the network may be based on guaranteed level of broadband service (e.g. 155 Mbps for an OC3) or for usage. Broadband on demand refers to a user’s ability to access or use different speeds depending on the need.

In the near future, Fiber to the Premise (FTTP) – also called Fiber to the Curb or Fiber to the Home (FTTH) – will be available in many localities, offered by telephone and other companies. This service will provide gigabyte services to homes and businesses.

Point to point fiber connections can be provided by local telephone companies (Frontier Communications, Taconic Telephone and Verizon), Hudson Valley DataNet and through contracts with Time Warner Cable and Cablevision. HV DataNet also manages a Gigabyte fiber optic ring throughout Dutchess and other counties in the Mid-Hudson region.

DSL

DSL (Digital Subscriber Lines) refer to a telephone-based service that can offer a relatively low cost ($29.95–$49.95 for a DSL for a single line connection for the home or small company) up to very large applications for data transmission in larger companies. DSL uses an existing telephone line with a DSL modem attached to the computer. The signal is split into the voice portion (for telephone) and the data portion. Both availability and connection speed are dependent on (a) having a DSL server (DSLAM) at the LEC central office and (b) the distance of customer location from the central office, usually about three miles.

Types of DSL:

  • ADSL (asymmetric DSL) in which data speed downloads from the Internet to your computer are typically 1.5 Mbps but can range from 256 Kbps up to 9 Mbps and upload speeds to the Internet are typically 256 Kbps but can range between 65 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps. The faster download speeds reflect the usual requirements of greater data transfer from the Internet than to it.
  • SDSL (symmetric DSL) has equal upload and download speeds. This configuration might be used in running a web server in an e-commerce application or video conferencing.
  • HDSL (High Bit-Rate DSL) provides a high bps rates with upload and download speeds from 1.5 Mbps to 2 Mbps, useful for small business networks and Virtual Private Networks (VPN) between company locations.
  • VDSL (Very high Bit-Rate DSL) provides the highest bps rates possible over telephone lines, download speeds from 13 Mbps to 52 Mbps and upload speeds of 1.5 Mbps to 2.3 Mbps.

DSL service is available from your local telephone company (Frontier Communications, Taconic Telephone or Verizon), and resellers, depending on location and proximity to a central office (CO) offering DSL services. [See Dutchess County 2000 Broadband Infrastructure Map] The website www.dslreports.com also lists CO locations and DSL availability.

Cable Modem Access

Interactive cable modem service (Road Runner from Time Warner Cable and Optimum Online from Cablevision) is an always-on high-speed data connection available through cable TV companies. The cable signal traditionally used for TVs is split to a cable modem attached to a computer. Residential service is typically at a rate of 256 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps for both downstream and upstream transmissions at a cost of about $40.00 for subscribers with cable service. Cable companies will provide multiple e-mail addresses and also may provide web hosting.

For businesses, cable modem services offer several options which allow flexibility of use. Guaranteed bandwidth ranges from 1 to 4 Mbps download and 256 Kbps to 2 Mbps upload speeds, on up, with relative pricing of $100.00 per month on up, plus installation costs. Several computers in the office can be networked through a router to cable modem service and static IP addresses necessary for VPNs and e-commerce applications are available at extra cost.

Fixed Wireless Internet

Fixed high-speed wireless (often called "wi-fi") is a new delivery technology offering an alternative and/or redundant system for broadband access and Internet connectivity. Connectivity can be configured either point to point, as between two offices or in a wide area network. A wireless system is easy and fast to install, requires a minimum of interior infrastructure modifications and is able to reach sites that may not be accessible to "wired" delivery technologies.

Wireless uses radio waves in the 2.4 gigahertz range and is therefore limited to line of sight applications. Upload and download data speeds are in the range of 128 Kbps to 7.2 Mbps or higher, depending on the application and distance.

Fixed wireless is offered in Northern Dutchess County by Webjogger Wireless Access.

Satellite Access

Recent developments in satellite technology have made a wide range of Internet access, disaster recovery and network connection options available to companies at competitive prices. This is especially true in rural areas where the costs of installing access may run high. The new technology uses very small aperture terminal {VSAT} technology in satellite dishes that allows fast deployment of connectivity. Satellite technology supports direct Internet connectivity, Wide area networks and multicasting, in which a single source can transmit or broadcast information to a large number of remote locations simultaneously. Downlink speeds vary between 256 Kbps and 9,2 Mbps.