iCloud - Is it going to hurt access providers?

Sun Sep 4 01:27:42 UTC 2011

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Frank Bulk" <frnkblk at iname.com>

> Subject: RE: iCloud - Is it going to hurt access providers?
> The copper technologies of DOCSIS and xDSL are well established in
> residential deployments and they are asymmetric by design. I don't think
> near-symmetric speeds are on the CableLab's and Broadband Forum's short list
> of future features. Even GPON is 1:4. As more fiber is deployed, I believe
> deployments will eventually migrate to some variation of EPON where
> symmetricity is built into the design. In the meantime it is what it
> is.

That's as may be... but the real question, I think, is this:

What's the asymmetry of the *intermediate* networks?  It wouldn't make sense
for cablemodem providers to provision symmetric transport inside their MANs
if they didn't have to... so if they *don't* have to, how hard can the push it
with the way they're provisioned now?

Or is the transport natively symmetric, as I suspect, and they're just 
letting it all sit there on the return side.  Must gall their sisters... :-)

Cheers,
-- jra
-- 
Jay R. Ashworth                  Baylink                       jra at baylink.com
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