Telephony • September 11, 2000 • www.internettelephony.com With so much growth and change taking place, and given the complications of build- ing a network, it’s not surprising that service providers seek simplicity wherever they can find it.And with so many changing technolo- gies to consider, industry players might mis- takenly relegate powering equipment to the “no-brainer” category. The truth is, without thorough planning, power easily can become the weak link in the chain of devices needed for successful service delivery. Providers that simply replicate old powering formulas in a new environment, leave powering decisions to vendors or put off consideration of power issues until the last minute could be placing themselves,their networks and even their market shares and revenue streams at risk. In business, even seemingly minor tech- nical decisions can have larger implications. The question isn’t just, “How does this com- ponent function in a network?” but also, “How does it affect our profitability?” The reason is that even a profitable operation can be vulnerable to competitive pressure from more profitable players, and telecommunica- tions markets are nothing if not competitive. The more profitable competitor is freer to cut prices to gain market share or to use prof- its to fund growth and innovation.Over time, even small differences in profitability are multiplied. That’s why every decision should include considerations of long-term financial impact, in terms of controlling cost and in- creasing revenue. The impact of power The next time you think of disregarding power as a critical issue in network design, think about the last time your lights went out. Power is a show-stopper. Without it, systems don’t operate. When it malfunctions, it can damage other equipment, start fires or injure people. For myriad reasons, power is not the place to cut corners. Unfortunately,many ser- vice providers could be cutting corners with- out even realizing it. Service providers should take the time to examine policies and procedures. They should make appropriate choices now, codify them as purchasing specifications and opera- tional rules, and follow them. Then they can rest assured that they are not going to be blindsided by disaster or “nibbled to death” by small recurrent problems that could have been prevented by incorporating the appro- priate power solution into the network. In today’s deregulated markets, an in- creasing number of service providers are de- livering both voice and data services.The dif- bedfellows As deregulation’s effects broaden,ILECs and CLECs are finding themselves in increasingly close quarters Strange by DAVID SCHOMAKER I f, in this political season,you are reminded that politics makes strange bedfellows, consider that deregulation makes even stranger ones.Not only are voice and data converging, but,in the process,incumbent and compet- itive carriers are literally becoming roommates, sharing facilities in central offices and remote locations as mandated by the FCC.It may not be a match made in heaven,but it is part of a market explosion that could be rewarding for all involved. ® Telephony • September 11, 2000 • www.internettelephony.com ferent types of equipment supporting these two types of service have little in common, including their amperage requirements. Telephony gear typically has required GMT fuses with capacities of up to 15 A. Data gear such as routers, DSL access multiplexers and DSL interfaces are more likely to use KLM fuses (up to 30 A) or even TPA fuses (up to 50 A) or panels housing high-amperage circuit breakers. Then there’s the matter of shared facili- ties. Deregulation requires incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) to lease certain areas of their facilities to competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs). As hosts, ILECs are setting strict rules governing the shared facilities; as guests—and to protect their continued access to the shared facilities— CLECs would do well to follow those rules to the letter. Competition already has been mentioned, but it is worth repeating. Consider the ease with which customers can change service providers. If a service provider disappoints them, they can be gone before the provider even knows that there’s a problem. Con- versely, if a competitor disappoints them, the incumbent can win their business just as quickly.To gain and retain customers, service providers must be able to deliver new ser- vices quickly and keep them running, come what may. Finally, there’s the labor market: It’s tight. Support personnel are hard to find and ex- pensive to hire. Service providers might even have to settle for less experienced people. Keeping up with a growing workload simply costs more; getting by on the old budget could impact service and reduce revenue. There’s only one way out of the squeeze: Providers should do anything to eliminate, speed up or simplify work on their networks. It will save money and protect their earnings. Start with standards Components installed in complex networks face all sorts of challenges, from heat and hu- midity to earthquakes. There’s no way a net- work builder could identify them all, let alone evaluate equipment for performance under all circumstances. That’s why panels of seasoned experts develop standards. Using equipment that complies with standards will reduce risk. But for CLECs, there’s another reason to go with standard-compliant systems. ILECs de- mand compliance from any equipment in- stalled on their premises and their networks. The most critical standard is Network Equipment Building Standards (NEBS) Level 3 (Table 1). Full compliance with this strict standard can only be guaranteed through independent testing. Vendors that may not be able to meet the stringent re- quirements of independent testers may do their own testing or simply describe compo- nents as being “manufactured to NEBS standards.” The only way for service providers to pro- tect themselves is to demand independently tested NEBS 3 compliance, as the ILECs do. Other standards relevant to power systems include: UL, NEC (written by the National Fire Protection Agency), Telcordia (formerly Bellcore) approval, CSA (Canadian Standards Association) guidelines, the CE (Conformité Européenne) mark for installation within the European Union, and IEC standards (written by a worldwide body governing public net- work equipment). A step beyond standards Important as it is, independent NEBS 3 test- Table 1 NEBS criteria levels Requirement Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 System fire test and Plastics = 94 V-0 or better materials/components Components = Agency approved Same Same Electrical safety GR-1089 Same Same Listing requirements UL, CSA or ETL Same Same Bonding and grounding GR-1089 Same Same EMC/EMI FCC Part 15, CISPR 22 FCC Part 15, CISPR 22 FCC Part 15, CISPR 22 (emissions) (emissions and immunity) Emissions and Immunity with doors open Short circuit Tip to ring for 30 minutes Same Same Lightning immunity 5 KVAC, 2 milliseconds 2.5 KVAC, 10 milliseconds Same as level 2 Current limiting Specify protection device as required Same Same AC power fault 600 VAC, 15 minutes 1000 VAC, 300 sec. Same as level 2 Voltage limiting Specify protection device as required Same Same Thermal operation 5 to 40 C -5 to 55 C, 5% to 90% 10% to 85% relative humidity relative humidity (operating) Storage and transportation -40 to 70 C, Drop and transportation vibration Earthquake Zone 2 Zone 4 Office vibration GR-63 Same ESD Operation/install/repair Same Airborne contaminantes Indoor Outdoor Steady state power induction GR-1089 GR-1089 Source:ADC ing checks only a hand-picked product sample provided by the manufacturer. To en- sure the same level of performance in the de- vices a service provider installs, the carrier must put faith in the consistency of the man- ufacturing process. Service providers could monitor the capa- bilities of the vendor it is considering, but there is an easier way. They should insist on ISO 9001 certification.This is an assurance of quality and consistency in the process and, consequently, in the product. And in the manufacturing process, quan- tity is just as important as quality. All net- work managers believe in planning ahead, but in fast-moving markets, that’s often im- possible. For example, a service provider re- ceives a large service order and discovers that its power systems vendor can’t meet the deadline. The carrier could apologize to the customer and hope that they’ll stick around. But even if the provider retains the customer, it still loses revenue while it waits. A service provider also could look around for another vendor willing and able to meet its schedule, but then the carrier runs two risks. First, it may have to compromise on quality. Second, as soon as it starts mixing equipment types in the network, it increases training load and risks installation and repair slow- downs. The service provider also increases the likelihood of errors. To avoid these prob- lems—not to mention the higher overhead cost of dealing with multiple vendors— providers should make sure the vendor has a large,flexible manufacturing capacity. Finally, the equipment In a data/telephony installation, with its mix of high and low amperage, it makes sense to use equipment that supports the same mix, preferably within a single panel (Figure 1). Otherwise,a service provider could end up configuring too many partially populated shelves, driving up space requirements and equipment costs. Space itself is costly and, therefore,a major concern for any carrier.But it is especially important to CLECs working within the limited space allocated by the host ILEC. Of course, installation density is always an issue, whether in a multi-amperage or single- amperage installation. Take secondary power distribution, for instance. Start by examining overall panel design for compactness. Then look at the effect on installation density of various mixes of high and low amperage.The ability to mix varying amperages in one panel will save space. It’s important not to be limited to the few specific configurations in a manufacturer’s catalog. Service providers should ask about the vendor’s ability to provide configura- tions in the future. Some vendors may be willing to meet requirements, but only at significant cost and with extremely long lead times. Carriers should consider these “red flags.” Service providers with limited space probably have limited time and money, too. These providers could benefit from a vendor with “mass customization” capability. Typically built into the product design, mass customization allows fast and easy factory tailoring in a universal platform with minimal impact on cost or lead time. Finally, carriers should look for high relia- bility and long life.Downtime and repairs can be expensive, both in personnel costs and customer satisfaction. And premature re- placement of failed equipment is even worse. No one knows the future, but there is some- one who knows the power components than providers do: the manufacturer. Manufacturers test their products and re- veal their product quality in the type of war- ranty they offer. If the warranty is short—say three to five years—expect failures and the associated costs to rise sometime after expi- ration. Look for lifetime warranties; they do exist. The bottom line Power is never a no-brainer. Power systems do the “heavy lifting” for a network. They are subjected to a lot of stress, and they take down circuits—and sometimes entire net- works—if they fail. The good news is that the path around the pitfalls is clearly marked. Service providers should look for standards and certifications such as NEBS 3 and ISO 9001. They should ask about lead times, not just for standard products but for special configurations. Carriers need to closely consider cost but not just product cost. They should add in “real estate” costs, replacement costs and costs of support and lost revenue in the event of failure or delayed delivery. They should be conservative in these calculations; it doesn’t take much to wipe out the small savings on cheap equipment. And finally, service providers should be demanding. They have a right to expect a lot. It takes every bit of extra profit to stay on top. It’s a jungle out there, and if there’s one thing the big cats understand, it’s power. ■ David Schomaker is the Senior Product Manager for PowerWorx products for ADC’s Broadband Connectivity Group, in Minneapolis. His e-mail address is David_Schomaker@adc.com. DC fuse panel Splitter DSLAM Aggregation router Loop management system Source: ADC Figure 1 Varying Amp Equipment Reprinted with permission from the September 11, 2000 issue of Telephony . ® Copyright 2000, Intertec Publishing, A PRIMEDIA Company, Overland Park, KS. All rights reserved. . political season,you are reminded that politics makes strange bedfellows, consider that deregulation makes even stranger ones.Not only are voice and data converging,. services.The dif- bedfellows As deregulation’s effects broaden,ILECs and CLECs are finding themselves in increasingly close quarters Strange by DAVID SCHOMAKER I f,