Pedestal Network's UBS release 2 delivers 3 Mbps line-powered ADSL with QOS.

Following eleven months of successful operation in live carrier networks, Pedestal Networks announced Release 2 of its Universal Broadband Server(TM) (UBS(TM)), a line-powered Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) that eliminates the technical and economic barriers of universal DSL deployment. With this new system release, carriers can deliver 3 Mbps Asynchronous DSL (ADSL) service to users as far as 50,000 feet from the Central Office, offering higher speeds and longer reach than their cable competitors. The release also provides network diagnostics tools, such as performance and traffic management enhancements, designed to improve the delivery of high-value applications. Finally, the release introduces a new Element Management System (EMS), called UBSView(TM).

"With close to a year in the field in some of the most demanding environments, we have proven that the UBS is a rock-solid performer, enabling quick installation and provisioning, and delivering highly reliable broadband service," said Ellis Reid, director of product management at Pedestal Networks. "With this release, we are introducing performance, traffic control, and network management features that large carriers expect to see in their networks. The new software also allows our customers to define a broader range of service offerings. The result is a higher value product that integrates easily into any carrier network and provides a cost-effective means of satisfying subscriber demand for increased bandwidth."

"Users today want high speed and predictable performance to support such applications as video streaming, music downloads, online gaming, and Voice over IP (VoIP)," said Lance Reid, director of network planning at Cincinnati Bell (NYSE:CBB), a Pedestal customer. "We chose Pedestal's UBS system because it can deliver 3 Mbps to even our most remote suburban subscribers today, and it provides a strong migration plan to support higher speeds for future applications."

The UBS combines patent-pending line powering technology, automated provisioning, and an environmentally hardened architecture to enable deployment of standard ADSL services to areas well beyond the 10,000-12,000 foot reach of existing DSL services, even to customers on "loaded" long-loop copper pairs and located behind legacy Digital Loop Carriers (DLCs). The UBS fulfills carrier plans for universal broadband without the expense of new right-of-way access, fiber trenching, local power, or environmental conditioning.

The field-proven UBS is NEBS-III compliant and GR-487 certified for installation in the most extreme environments: underground, underwater, in a buried hand-hole, mounted on poles, inside pedestals or crossboxes, or in any similar unconditioned enclosure in the field. Carriers can pre-provision UBS systems during initial installation, eliminating the need for carrier truck rolls for service turn-up once the system is installed.

Release 2 of the UBS system software doubles the amount of bandwidth supported by the initial release, without increasing power consumption or introducing spectral compatibility issues. Carriers can provision up to 3 Mbps of bandwidth per subscriber, in 32 Kbps increments.

Release 2 also provides comprehensive support for all standard Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Quality of Service (QoS) classifications (CBR, VBR-rt, VBR-nrt, UBR, and UBR+). Each UBS line supports up to four Permanent Virtual Circuits (PVCs), enabling up to four different QoS contracts per line. Carriers can provision independent data streams offering different classes of service to support the specific needs of voice, video, and data applications--and charge accordingly. When the provider is ready to service triple play applications, carriers can modify QoS designations dynamically from the Network Operations Center (NOC).

UBS system software Release 2 also includes detailed diagnostics and performance monitoring features to facilitate remote network troubleshooting and reduce truck rolls. T1 loopbacks provide end-to-end testing of line quality to spot potential copper issues before provisioning. Performance monitoring thresholds alert carriers to any network issues before they impact the subscriber, to allow for rapid problem resolution.

The UBSView EMS provides comprehensive remote management, remote provisioning, and alarm surveillance capabilities using standard Craft interfaces, CLI or TL1. UBSView simplifies subscriber and configuration management by supporting "one-click upgrades" for any installed system; with a click of the mouse, NOC personnel can upgrade system software for all UBS products in the field. UBSView also provides automated database backup and storage for all subscriber and provisioning information. UBSView runs on both Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP and Sun(SM) Solaris(TM) platforms.

Release 2 ships standard on all new UBS orders and is available as a no charge upgrade to existing customers.