Introduction to the Hotwire DSLAM
1-14
8000-A2-GB21-30
April 1998
H The Service Subscriber is the user (or set of users) that has contracted to
receive networking services (e.g., Internet access, remote LAN access) for
the end-user system from one or more Network Service Providers (NSPs).
Service Subscribers may be:
— Residential users connected to public network services (e.g., the Internet)
— Work-at-home users connected to their corporate Intranet LAN
— Commercial users at corporate locations (e.g., branch offices) connected
by a LAN to other corporate locations or connected to public network
services
RTUs must be installed at the customer premises to provide the Service
Subscriber access by way of DSL to any of the above services.
H The Network Access Provider (NAP) is typically the network provider (e.g.,
a Regional Bell Operating Company, an Alternate Local Exchange Carrier)
that has access to the copper twisted pairs over which the DSL-based
service operate. The NAP provides a transit network service permitting
connection of service subscribers to NSPs.
Typically, the NAP network is organized into three components:
— Wire center
The wire center is usually a local serving office where the wiring from the
service subscribers is terminated on the Hotwire DSLAM. This could be a
CO.
— Wide Area Network (WAN)
The WAN concentrates and switches data traffic from multiple wire
centers to one or more Regional Centers where service providers have
access to the network.
— Regional center
The NSP’s Point-of-Presence (POP) is the access point to the NAP
network for an NSP and is located at the regional center. The connection
from the NAP to the NSP network is typically across a WAN connection
to the NSP router at the regional center. This router acts as a next-hop
location to the NSP’s network.
H The Network Service Providers (NSPs) can be either public access
providers to the Internet (i.e., Internet Service Providers) or private access
providers to corporate LANs, providing services based on the Internet
Protocol (IP). In some cases, the NSP and the NAP can be a single
organization.
