Increasingly, vendors have turned away from the first generation of testing gear. Based on a traditional POTS test system, portable or otherwise, these systems can only test in the 4-KHz voice band. Although, engineers can measure loop length with a TDR and an open meter, only testing the network on both ends can determine operational margins, and that process requires a lot of luck. Test results can be interpreted and stored by NOC operators, eliminating the need for highly trained field technicians. In some scenarios, these technicians use portable test equipment with the CO test equipment to verify installation and problem resolution.
Scalability is key.
Let s face it, when you are doing trials with just dozens of users, it s pretty easy to keep a handle on things, Meade said. It s not enough to sit at the NOC and monitor the network. Gear is needed to get to the outskirts of the deployment and test. Turnstone is the only one with a comprehensive and automated analysis and provisioning system optimized for DSL deployment, said John Freeman, principal analyst at Current Analysis. I believe the hottest button right now is the ability to accomplish the cross-connect, loop analysis and qualification, order initiation process, and ongoing loop analysis tasks, all from the same platform and from a remote location.