A new technology called long-reach Ethernet (LRE) may help service providers more affordably capitalize on the in-building services marketplace.
LRE can handle in-building transmissions approaching 5 megabits per second at reaches of up to 5000 feet. And it can do all that over existing Category 1, 2 or 3 cabling that can at the same time carry POTS, ISDN or DSL. The reach of standard Ethernet, meanwhile, is only about 300 feet. And Ethernet typically requires a separate Category 5 cable, which may require building rewiring.
Cisco Systems Inc. <H>(www.cisco.com)</H> tomorrow will announce its plans for a product line based on LRE. The Cisco Catalyst 2900 Series LRE XL Switches are offered in either 12- or 24-port versions and also feature four 10/100 Ethernet ports in one rack unit. The Cisco 575 LRE Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) Device is a low-cost, compact device that includes a standard RJ-11 port that connects to the existing telephone wire infrastructure, and standard RJ-45 and RJ-11 ports that serve, respectively, Ethernet equipment and telephones. The Cisco 575 LRE CPE supports the co-existence of POTS, digital phone and ISDN traffic on the same telephone line by splitting LRE and voice traffic at the CPE device. The Cisco LRE 48 Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) Splitter is a 48-port device ideal for installations where the PBX system is onsite and POTS traffic must co-exist over the same telephone line. The Cisco LRE 48 POTS Splitter allows the co-existence of LRE and voice traffic (POTS, digital phone and ISDN) on the same telephone line. Each splitter is one rack unit and has six RJ-21 connectors – two each for connectivity to the patch panel, the Cisco Catalyst 2900 Series LRE XL switches and an onsite PBX system.
Shah Talukder, director of marketing for the building broadband solutions unit, says the applications for LRE are limitless, noting hospitals, warehouses and hotels as just a few potential users.
Service providers without existing ATM networks may find LRE more attractive than in-building DSL because it doesn’t require the expense and complexity of ATM switching and management, respectively, says Talukder. And LRE may win out over fiber-to-the-riser in situations where there are concrete barriers to new wiring or where asbestos is a concern, adds Ben Gibson, Cisco senior product manager.
