Netopia, Carrier Access Corp. to Integrate Voice and SDSL Data

Carrier Access Corp., a provider of multiservice digital access equipment, will partner with Netopia to develop Carrier Access Corp.'s new Access Bank II/SDSL—an integrated voice and data access product targeted at corporate enterprise networks. The product will combine Carrier Access Corp.'s Access Bank II multiplexer with Netopia's symmetrical digital subscriber line (SDSL) data technology.

Although SDSL technology is generally thought of as a means to connect a customer site to the telephone company central office, the Access Bank II/SDSL will use SDSL to solve common a networking problem. In most office buildings the phone closet and the data room are connected by traditional copper phone wire. Because copper phone wire cannot be used for V.35 connections or for Ethernet connections at distances of more than 300 ft, businesses that wish to interconnect a data router to a data/voice multiplexer typically need to recable.

By using SDSL technology, the Access Bank II/SDSL will allow IT managers an alternative of to setting up high-speed LANs over a building's existing voice-grade copper wiring. To facilitate this, the Netopia CPE units will handle data routing and bridging functions.

Netopia's SDSL technology was developed in partnership with xDSL vendor Copper Mountain Networks.