But that's where things could be about to change. Vendors are intent on translating their successes in the long-distance market to the local market. New competitive local exchange carriers plan to bring fiber all the way into the basement of buildings, where they'll install optical multiservice provisioning platforms that can provide a variety of services to customers.
Vendors agree, judging by the mad scramble to carve out a share of the potential market.
About 12 vendors are developing multiservice provisioning platforms. Some are startups such as Alidian Networks, Chromatis Networks, and Mayan Networks. Bigger vendors also are getting into the game by spending huge sums to snap up these fledglings. This new optical gear is different from the conventional Sonet equipment that has been around since the '80s. That reduces the need for asynchronous transfer mode or routers to be installed in networks, allowing carriers to deliver faster services, more quickly, and for less money.