Abstract:
A Greek company has developed a Broadband Access System based on ATM technology that can be used for the connection of end-users (business & residential) with an ATM Core Network for data, voice and broadband communications. The main advantages of the system are the guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) , the high access speeds and the reduction in cost compared to networks of independent leased lines. The company is looking for Telecommunications Operators interested in purchasing this product.

Description:
The Broadband Access System developed by the Greek company is based on ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) technology and is mainly used for broadband communications, connecting end users (residential & business) with an ATM Core Network. The system consists of an ATM Line Card supporting 155Mbps (STM-1) data rates, 6 E1 (2048Kbps) Line cards and a CPU board for the general management, control and monitoring of the system as well as for the Call Admission Control (CAC). This CPU board also provides an interface for external management systems (SNMP and/or CMIP). The ATM switching is distributed on the line cards, based on an integrated chip (CUBIT-Pro / TRANSWITCH) and a common communication bus called CellBus. The company has also developed the software for the system which consists of the Control Pane functions, the Management Plane functions, the necessary drivers and the protocol layer for internal communication (ICP).

Innovative Aspects:
Comparing ATM technology versus IP (Internet Protocol) technology, we can say that:

• ATM offers guaranteed QoS, whereas IP is based on best effort only
• ATM supports data ad voice interworking and provides CBR (Constant Bit Rate) for leased line services. On the other hand, IP is data oriented and has interoperability problems with the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network)
• The constant packet size in the ATM technology allows for efficient transfer of packets in the hardware, minimum latency and easier buffering.

Main Advantages:
The world-wide competition in telecom business pushes the network operators to offer the best service for the lowest price. Then, what is needed is to provide QoS (Quality of Service) functions for all the users for all the services. The all-IP networks will certainly be based on terabit technologies, but it has a limitation at the access ends. The main advantages offered by the Broadband Access System are:

• QOS: ATM is a connection oriented protocol with signalling mechanisms allowing efficient use of network resources and hence it offers a guaranteed QoS as well as high data rates from one end of the network to the other.
• Unified model of Access System: in order to achieve high markets of services and applications, one important factor is the homogeny of the network. By designing a complete ATM network end-to-end, we can achieve a unified network model leading to a lower provision cost of new services and applications.
• Signalling Capabilities: The rich signalling capabilities of ATM protocol allow the support of different connection types required by the various multimedia applications (i.e, point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, multipoint-to-point and multipoint-to-multipoint).
• Large number of new services: The provision of guaranteed performance and the large number of connection types, give the system the flexibility to support a great number of different application types and services with different network requirements.
• Uniform base for all applications: One of the great advantages of the Broadband Access System is the employment of a uniform platform for the support of all applications and services leading to a reduced development cost .
• Bandwidth Efficiency: ATM is based on packet switching and an asynchronous multiplexing. Hence, it is very efficient in data multiplexing in both directions (upstream and downstream). In addition, the ABR (Available Bit Rate) service of ATM allows the full usage of the free bandwidth. In this way, the network can reach nearly 100 2.121996e-314fficiency in residential areas.
• Network Management: The end-to-end employment of ATM eliminates the inter-operability problems among heterogeneous networks.
• Upgrade Capabilities: ATM switches have the highest switching capability compared to any other switch with standard interfaces. The upgrade capability of the switches and the interfaces is nearly unlimited, since the ATM technology is independent of the physical layer data rate.

Description of the specialization of the organization:
INTRACOM S.A designs, develops, manufactures and supports hardware and software systems for advanced telecommunications, electronics and data processing applications. The main fields of activities include public telecommunications networks, telecommunications software, integrated business networks, operation support systems, digital satellite applications, internet systems and applications, defence systems.

Additional Information:
National Documentation Centre
Mr George Apostolopoulos
+30 10 7273920
+30 10 7246824
E-mail: gapo@ekt.gr