GoDigital Networks Increases Reliability Of DSL Services And Extends Reach To 25 Miles From Central Office
GoDigitalÆ Networks Corporation (GoDigital), a leading provider of DSL (digital subscriber line) infrastructure solutions, announced today that it has added support for mechanized loop testing to the GoDigital GDSL(R) family of products. By providing this testing capability, GoDigital enables its communications provider customers to remotely diagnose copper line drop problems to optimize customer service and minimize testing and repair costs. More than 80 leading companies across North America, including BCT.TELUS Communications Inc., Century Communications, Frontier Communications, GTE, and U S WEST, rely on GoDigital to increase the reach and capacity of DSL, ISDN, and voice services over existing copper phone lines. Through GoDigital systems, more than 400 new subscriber lines are being made available per day. GoDigital's family of products allows communications service providers to multiply and expand the reach and reliability of service offerings, regardless of the subscribers' distance from the central office. Using GoDigital solutions, service providers can multiply capacity and deliver three iDSL (ISDN-based DSL) or eight high-quality DS0 lines over one copper pair. In addition, GoDigital extends the reach of high-bandwidth services - such as ""always-on"" DSL and voice over DSL - up to twenty-five miles from the central office. With support for mechanized loop testing, GoDigital customers can now remotely diagnose dropwire and inside wiring problems to businesses and residences without a ""truck roll"" that requires dispatching a service technician. Remote diagnosis reduces the amount of on-site technician support required, which is a tremendous cost savings to telephone service providers. Support for mechanized loop testing is available today in the GoDigital FDS-1 system and will be available in the GoDigital GDSL solutions by the end of 1999. ""Extending the capabilities of the existing copper infrastructure is strategic to helping communications carriers meet growth for phone lines and deliver high speed Internet access,"" said Tim McElgunn, Senior Analyst, Stratecast Partners. ""As local governments across the U.S. mandate increased minimum access speeds for subscribers, solutions such as GoDigital can help providers meet these requirements in a cost-effective manner."" ""Servicing copper-based phone access in suburban and rural areas is a high cost for communications providers. By supporting mechanized loop testing in our leading digital subscriber line products, GoDigital demonstrates our commitment to helping our customers reduce the cost of communications services while offering premium customer service and reliability, regardless of the subscriber's location,"" said Dennis Haar, President and CEO, GoDigital Networks. Mechanized loop testing is a centralized testing method that provides remote diagnosis and trouble isolation for phone lines. By supporting mechanized loop testing in its systems, GoDigital enables its customers to get fast and accurate line quality and safety measurements that are reported to standard mechanized loop test systems using Telcordia (formerly Bellcore) TR-909 standard signatures. This allows communications providers to accurately determine trouble sources remotely, which significantly reduces the time required from trouble report to problem resolution. Until now, DSL-based equipment has not been compatible with this test method. About GoDigital Networks Product Family GoDigital develops products that enable local exchange carriers to provide more lines and higher bandwidth Internet access - leveraging existing copper infrastructure - to customers, regardless of physical distance from a central office. Using GoDigital products, communications providers can now expand the capacity of a single copper pair to support up to eight subscribers, and remove the traditional distance limitation of high speed modems and broadband services, such as DSL, to reach both suburban and rural areas. GoDigital products include: - The GDSL-8 System uses DSL technology to provide full voice service and high speed modem access on a single copper pair to eight subscribers located as far as 25 miles from the central phone office. The ease of installation, scalable design and flexible configuration of the GDSL-8 makes it a highly cost effective alternative to laying more copper wire. In addition, it effectively expands the existing copper infrastructure to support high speed DSL service for that area. - The GDSL BRI 3 provides three full service IDSL or Basic Rate Interface (BRI) lines to three subscribers located as far as 25 miles from the central phone office. It enables access speeds of up to 144 Kilobits per second (Kbps), which is ten times faster than the traditional performance of a standard copper wire. - The FDS-1 System is a flexible, cost effective Digital Loop Carrier that transports up to 192 access lines or six T1 circuits from a central office out to a single or multiple drop points up to 75 miles away, using any combination of copper, fiber, or wireless. Services available include 56 Kbps or T1 data, ISDN/IDSL, payphone or voice circuits capable of V.90 modem support. About GoDigital Networks Corporation GoDigital Networks Corporation (formerly GoDigital Telecommunications) is a leading provider of DSL infrastructure products that extend the reach, services. Using GoDigital solutions, communications service providers can optimize the use of existing copper phone lines and enable high-bandwidth, reliable voice and data services over long distances to outer suburbs and rural locations that are located far from central phone offices. More than 80 companies rely on GoDigital to extend broadband services and increase the reach and capacity of DSL, ISDN and voice services over existing copper phone lines. GoDigital was founded in 1996 by a team of communications experts from Alcatel, Cisco Systems, Cylink Corporation, ITT Industries, and Rolm Corporation. The privately-held company is based in Fremont, California. The company is funded through Menlo Ventures, Accel Partners, and JAFCO America. For more information, visit http://www.godigital.com, email info@godigital.com or phone 510 979- 2200. Source: GoDigital Networks Corporation Web site: http://www.godigital.com