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WIRELINE ACCESS NETWORKS
3.1 INTRODUCTION
Wireline access networks refer to the collection of “last-mile” data transmission technologies that connect businesses and residences to a public communications network. Historically, access networks were service-specific; everyone is familiar with the copper twisted-pair loop used to carry analog telephony, and many people continue to receive video entertainment programming through an RF-based coaxial distribution network. Broadband or high-speed Internet (HSI) access has motivated access network providers (ANPs) to upgrade and evolve their last-mile networks. In the later part of the last century, driven by the popularity of the Web, access network operators recognized that their networks needed to support more than the single service their networks were offering. The wireline access network was now a conduit into homes and businesses in which a portfolio of services could be delivered and charged for. This portfolio is typically referred to as “triple play,” consisting of voice, video, and HSI access. ANPs have embarked upon a large-scale upgrade to their deployed networks focusing on delivering increased bandwidth to the subscriber based on the assumption that bandwidth is a proxy for revenue; the higher the bandwidth, the higher the average revenue per user (ARPU). Telephony networks were upgraded to support HSI using digital subscriber line (DSL) technology, and the hybrid-fiber coaxial (HFC) network was re-architected ...
