On Monday, November 13, TIA's Fiber Optics LAN Section (FOLS) held a Web conference that explored the performance and cost advantages network managers can realize from deploying a relatively new standards-compliant architecture: fiber-to-the-telecom enclosure (FTTE). The Web conference was led by John Struhar, marketing manager at Ortronics/Legrand and a former chair of the FOLS. A copy of the presentation can be downloaded at www.fols.org.

FTTE was developed to help IT managers incorporate more sophisticated voice, data and video equipment into enterprise applications. This architecture extends the fiber backbone from the equipment room, through the riser and the telecom room, and out directly to a telecom enclosure installed in a common space that serves a number of users in their work area. It is a solution that leverages fiber's distance capabilities by bringing increased bandwidth closer to the user, and provides ultimate flexibility in the final drop by allowing IT managers to utilize their legacy equipment or upgrade to fiber or wireless on an "as needed" basis.

Implementation of FTTE is based on the new TIA/EIA-569-B "Pathways and Spaces" standard, which defines the Telecom Enclosure (TE) "space," and TIA/EIA-568-B.1 Addendum 5, which defines the TE cabling. The FTTE architecture allows any media choice from the TE to the work area; it may be UTP copper, multimode or single-mode fiber, or even wireless if an access point is installed in or near the TE. FTTE can be deployed in either a low-density configuration, which maximizes network throughput, or in a high-density configuration, which maximizes cost savings.

Struhar explained that to help users compare FTTE architectures with other architectures such as hierarchical star or centralized fiber optic cabling, it's helpful to use a common scenario. The FOLS illustrates these architectures in the latest version of its comprehensive premises cost model, which allows users to compare the installed first costs of the architectures using either sample scenarios, or by customizing the model parameters to reflect their own installation. The cost model, along with instructions for its use, can be downloaded at no charge at www.fols.org.

The FTTE Performance Advantage

One of the key benefits of the FTTE solution is that it provides excellent performance in terms of bandwidth delivered to the work area. In many enterprises today, the Ethernet switches are oversubscribed. For example, if 32-port switches that are configured with one 1-Gbps fiber uplink to the Equipment Room (ER) are deployed, this provides each workstation with only 31 Mbps of average throughput (1 Gbps divided by 32 ports). Even if the 32-port switch is configured with two 1-Gbps fiber uplinks, the average throughput available to each workstation is only 63 Mbps. In these cases, the backbone would have insufficient capacity to carry the full traffic from all workstations each running at their maximum rate of 100 Mbps. With increasingly sophisticated applications, it is becoming highly desirable to have access to as much throughput as possible.

In contrast, the FTTE low-density design offers the highest performance to the work area of any architecture because the 8-port mini-switch is totally non-blocking, or undersubscribed. Excess "capacity" exists because when all eight ports are operating at 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps of unused capacity remains on the 1-Gbps fiber backbone to the ER. The switch is able to provide connectivity to all eight workstations requiring 100 Mbps simultaneously, because the aggregate total from the eight workstations is 800 Mbps and the uplink can provide 1,000 Mbps, or 1 Gbps. The high-density FTTE design represents only a slight sacrifice in performance, but offers increased installation savings.

The FTTE Cost Advantage

FTTE designs also offer the potential for significant cost savings. The chart below shows comparisons between FTTE designs and hierarchical star. When low-density FTTE is deployed, the Cost Model estimates that it can result in a per port savings of more than $198 compared to hierarchical star. This would result in a total savings of more than $85,000 for the "model" 8-story building. In addition, this design offers the highest performance of any structured cabling system (SCS) design. The high-density FTTE system could save even more: $272+ per port or more than 41 percent compared to Hierarchical Star. The total network savings for a high-density FTTE system is a projected $117,700. FOLS encourages all users to customize the cost model with their own numbers to find the most accurate estimates for their installations.

FTTE Architecture

Figure 1 - FTTE Initial Installed Costs Compared to Hierarchical Star Architecture

Selecting the Appropriate Telecommunications Enclosure

The TE is the heart of the FTTE architecture and, as such, its selection requires care. Struhar explained what to look for when choosing a TE, including capacity, accessibility and mounting. Several manufacturers currently offer enclosures suitable for this application and FOLS members expect more to be introduced as the benefits of FTTE become more widely recognized.

FTTE Case Histories

Although FTTE was ratified only two years ago, the architecture is gaining acceptance in a variety of applications. In his presentation, Struhar highlighted the experiences of RTKL Associates, Inc., a worldwide planning, architecture, design and creative services organization headquartered in Baltimore, Md. RTKL's Special Systems Design Group has designed several FTTE systems for their clients. RTKL recommendeds FTTE designs as a way to utilize and leverage their clients' existing plenum space, reduce closet size (and reclaim that real estate), and provide a simple and cost effective way to support the convergence of voice, data and video. They also believe FTTE provides greater flexibility in making moves, adds and changes by enabling them to be performed closer to the actual work area and, in many cases, without calling in and paying for costly outside labor.

Summary

FTTE is an attractive new structured cabling system option from both a cost and performance standpoint. Low-density designs offer higher performance and lower costs than traditional Hierarchical Star designs, while high-density FTTE designs offer excellent performance with potentially the highest level of savings. Struhar closed by stating that FOLS members expect more wide-spread adoption of FTTE by end users in a variety of markets as IT and business leaders realize the benefits of the FTTE architecture.

If you are interested in participating in the development of the below standards or in any of the TIA standards developing process please complete an online application at http://www.tiaonline.org/standards/join/apply.cfm.

NEW PROJECT NUMBERS

Project Number 3-0260, New TIA, "Network Firewall Configuration and Control" -- if interested contact Brent Hirschman, Sprint, at 913.794.4271, or via email at brent.hirschman@sprint.com

Project Number 3-0261, New TIA, "HRPD Fast Handoff" -- if interested contact Brent Hirschman, Sprint, at 913.794.4271, or via email at brent.hirschman@sprint.com

Project Number 3-0262, New TIA, "MIPv4 Enhancements" -- if interested contact Brent Hirschman, Sprint, at 913.794.4271, or via email at brent.hirschman@sprint.com

Project Number 3-0263, New TIA, "MIPv6 Enhancements" -- if interested contact Brent Hirschman, Sprint, at 913.794.4271, or via email at brent.hirschman@sprint.com

NEW STANDARDS PROPOSALS BALLOTS (ANSI):

Standards Proposal No. 3-0219, proposed creation of a TIA Standard, "Telecommunications - Telephone Terminal Equipment - Handset Magnetic Measurement Procedures and Performance Requirements" (if approved, to be published as TIA-1083).

Standards Project No. 3-0068-UGRV, proposed upgrade and revision of TIA standard "Wideband Air Interface Media Access Control/ Radio Link Adapatation (MAC/RLA) Layer Specification" (if approved, to be published as TIA-902.BAAC-A).

Standards Project No. 3-0081-UGRV, proposed upgrade and revision of a TIA standard "Wideband Air Interface Logical Link Control (LLC) Layer Specification" (if approved, to be published as TIA-902.BAAE-A).

NEW PROJECT NUMBERS BALLOTS:

Project Number 3-0070, proposed creation of a new TIA Standard, "Packet Switched Video Telephony Services", (if approved, to be published as TIA-924)

Project Number 3-0242, proposed creation of a new Bulletin, "cdma2000(r) Multimedia Services Evaluation Methodology: Software Tools", (if approved, to be published as TSB-170)

Project Number 3-0262, proposed creation of a new TIA Standard, "MIPv4 Enhancements", (if approved, to be published as TIA-1116)

Project Number 3-0263, proposed creation of a new TIA Standard, "MIPv6 Enhancements", (if approved, to be published as TIA-1117)

Project Number 3-3292-RV3, proposed revision of an existing TIA Standard, "Enhanced Variable Rate Codec, Speech Service Options 3, 68, and 70 for Wideband Spread Spectrum Digital Systems", (if approved, to be published as TIA-127-C)

Project Number 3-3292-RV2.SF1, proposed creation of a new TIA Standard, "Software Distribution for Enhanced Variable Rate Codec Speech Service Options 3and YY for Wideband Spread Spectrum Digital Systems", (if approved, to be published as TIA-127-B[SF1])

Project Number 3-4822-AD1, proposed addendum to an existing TIA Standard, "Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Industrial Premises; Addendum 1 - Industrial Pathways and Spaces", (if approved, to be published as TIA-1005-1)

Project Number 3-3490-RV2-AD1, proposed addendum to an existing TIA Standard, "Residential Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard; Addendum 1 - Additional Requirements for Broadband Coaxial Cabling", (if approved, to be published as TIA-570-B-1)

PUBLISHED DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE

TIA ONLY DOCUMENTS/INTERIM STANDARDS:

TIA-946-1[E], Enhanced Cryptographic Algorithms

TIA-1009, ME Personalization Mechanism for cdma2000(r)Spread Spectrum Systems

TIA-1092, Tunneling Support in Simple IP

TIA-1105, Terrestrial Mobile Multimedia Multicast based on Digital Video Broadcasting for Handheld Devices System

To check the status of any ballot (PN or SP), go to the TIA web page in the Standards Section to obtain current information. The link for PN ballots is:
http://www.tiaonline.org/standards/sfg/pn_report.cfm
or for SP ballots
http://www.tiaonline.org/standards/sfg/sp_report.cfm

Project MESA, Mobility for Emergency and Safety Applications, held its 13th meeting October 30 to November 2 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, hosted by UNISYS. TIA is one of the organizational partners of Project MESA. The meeting was intended to continue progress in achieving MESA's goals and its members' commitment to cultivation and advancement of common specifications that will facilitate the compatible delivery of reliable data, live video, imaging, biotelemetry, peer-to-peer and data traffic- related voice to front line safety and emergency services. Emergency and safety professionals engaged in intra- and inter-service activities and responses will benefit from the ability to access and reliably communicate broadband data needs. Project MESA expresses these situations and capabilities in terms of the "system of systems" concept, involving interaction between disparate technologies or even linkages between different services.

TIA President Matthew J. Flanigan commented, "We are all well aware of the problems that happen in this country and in the world when first responders cannot communicate with each other. TIA has long supported the development of standards for interoperability, making more spectrum available for public safety users and providing funding for replacement of old, antiquated, spectrum-inefficient and insecure analog public-safety systems. Our first responders need the best industry can provide for their mission-critical voice, narrowband, wideband and broadband needs. Project MESA is one way to address the broadband requirements."

Examples of the technologies covered in the current MESA proposals include cdma2000(r) EV-DO, W-CDMA, 802.11x, 802.16 and satellite technologies, highlighting how today's "commercial" mobile technologies can offer the economies of scale the emergency services user community needs.

At this 13th MESA meeting, Steering Committee Chairman Gianluigi Redaelli of the CEFRIEL (Center of Excellence for Research, Innovation, Education and industrial Labs, Italy) stated, "The increasing involvement of users, traditional private radio and commercial vendors demonstrates the importance of the project's concept and proposals. Their contributions, both current and forthcoming, are seen as a way to leverage the latest technologies and ensure that public safety communications capabilities and related interoperability can work seamlessly in these often critical and highly demanding situations."

The MESA meetings in Saint-Paul-de-Vence were attended by participants from 13 countries, mostly from Europe, the United States and Canada.

ETSI and TIA members are not working in isolation on Project MESA. There is growing support for these capabilities from the ITU, the ISO, the SDR Forum, European and U.S. authorities and other standards bodies that cover terrestrial and satellite technologies. At the same meeting, it was highlighted how today's "commercial" mobile broadband technology can be utilized for public safety services resulting in a leveraging of economies of scale and standardized solutions. Recent tragedies, such as Hurricane Katrina and Asian tsunamis, highlight how resilient and flexible IT and communications capabilities can be instrumental towards emergency needs and services and the coordination of public safety and response operations.

The 14th MESA meeting will be held May 8-10, 2007, in Portland, Ore., USA, and hosted by Cingular Wireless.

The Communiqué from the MESA-13 meeting is available here.

Project MESA shares its work in an open Web site and document area, and is available at http://www.projectmesa.org/ and http://www.projectmesa.org/ftp.

cdma2000® is a registered trademark and certification mark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA).

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