Integrated Narrowband/Broadband Access Architecture

Southwestern Bell Telephone (SWBT) Technology Planning chose a digital fiber-optic, integrated narrowband/broadband fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) access architecture for deployment in the Richardson, Texas, video trial. The trial architecture consists of a two-level network: Level 1 and Level 2. The Level-1 network is the infrastructure provided by SWBT. The Level-2 network is that portion which provides the digital video services and the analog broadcast services. This paper describes the network designed for SWBT that will be used to replace and extend the existing telephony transport and access network in Richardson with a state-of-the-art network that will provide telephony and other narrowband services, analog broadcast video services, digital broadcast services, and interactive switched digital video services. Also discussed are some of the new operations, administration, maintenance, and provisioning systems (OAM&P) required in this new environment. The characteristics and challenges of this new network, new technology, and the Richardson video trial are examined in detail.