What is FTTC?

[Glenn]

This document gives an overview, and what to expect on the install day.

[Rik]

Shame he doesn't know the difference between a DSLAM and an MSAN.

[Glenn]

He says it comes from the BT handbook that ISP's have.

"The following spiel has been pinched from the BT Wholesale FTTC Handbook (thanks to BT for letting me do this) .  This is normally only provided to ISPs who are reselling the technology/solution."

[Rik]

Well, that wouldn't surprise me.

[pctech]

Bit concerning if he's a CTO for an ISP

[Odos]

Just wondering, in that article it states that a BT engineer needs to visit the property to change sockets, is this is just a money making exercise. When I switched to Digital Regions network last week I had none of that. They simply sent me a modem, on the day of the change over I swapped my modem/router for theirs and the job was done at my end.

No special sockets or filters, just unplug one and plug in the other 

[Rik]

It's a bit like the early days of ADSL, Tony, where all installations required an engineer visit. In time, I suspect it will be sold 'wires only'.

[.Griff.]

Shame he doesn't know the difference between a DSLAM and an MSAN.

At which point does he confuse the two? I've only read it very briefly but I couldn't see where he was incorrect.

[Rik]

The main difference between the FTTC service and ADSL2+ Service is that the DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Module) is situated in an exchange building for ADSL2+ but for FTTC the DSLAM is situated in a cabinet in the street (the "Street DSLAM"). The Street DSLAM is served with a fibre back to the exchange to carry the Broadband signals

To the best of my knowledge, MSANs replaced DSLAMs for all 21CN connections.

[.Griff.]

To the best of my knowledge, MSANs replaced DSLAMs for all 21CN connections.

He's correct.

but for FTTC the DSLAM is situated in a cabinet in the street (the "Street DSLAM").

The new "VDSL cabinets" do indeed contain Huawei DLSAM's.

[Rik]

So are you saying MSANs don't exist?

[Steve]

My thoughts.If the phone is connected at the same point as the broadband it should in theory be called a MSAN. If the broadband box only serves one purpose its a DSLAM.

[.Griff.]

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/4011-aaisp-connects-first-business-on-bt-fibre-to-the-cabinet-pilot.html

The FTTC solution used by BT is based on the end user premises being connected to a local street cabinet by way of a shorter copper 'local loop' running VDSL2. This differs from current generation broadband where the equipment is housed at the local exchange. With FTTC, the street cabinet includes a DSLAM which terminates the DSL connection and uplinks it by way of Gigabit Ethernet over fibre to the telephone exchange which is capable of speeds from 1Gbps (1000Mbps) to 10Gbps and multiples thereof.

[pctech]

MSAN could be BT lingo.

complexity through obfuscation.

[Steve]

MSAN - just means it has more than one function.

[Bill]

MSAN: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MSAN

DSLAM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dslam

Hopefully it will mean something to somebody

[Rik]

That really cleared things up, Bill.