[kwlug-disc] UBB comes to Teksavv

[Kyle Spaans]

On Sun, Jan 30, 2011 at 7:39 PM, Unsolicited <unsolicited at swiz.ca> wrote:
> On Sun, January 30, 2011 6:05 pm, rbclemen at gmail.com wrote:
>> Execulink and several others have colocated DSLAMs.
>
> And so are immune to UBB?
>
> Sorry, let me rephrase that.
>
> DSLAMs mean the last mile is theirs, not Bells?
>
> And also means that one is entirely on the provider's network and off Bell?

As I understand internet infrastructure, and someone PLEASE educate me
if I'm wrong  :^D it is thusly for DSL:

you <-> modem <-> POTS line (last mile copper) <-> DSLAM <-> ??? <->
ISP_internals <-> ??? <-> THE_INTERNET

We don't really care about the ISP <-> INTERNET step, as those seem to
be mostly mutual peering arrangements (I move your packets, and you
move mine), etc. So this diagram should show what Yak and EyeSurf
do. They resell internet service from Fibernetics (_not_ Bell), so
Fibernetics fits in either as THE_INTERNET or ???. I don't
think that the last mile copper is such a big deal -- since if your
modem is talking with your ISPs DSLAM there is no Bell
hardware in between to interfere.

With Teksavvy or other resllers, the diagram is:

you <-> modem <-> POTS line (last mile copper) <-> Bell_DSLAM <-> ???
<-> ISP_internals <-> ??? <-> THE_INTERNET

So now Bell can see all of your internet traffic, and do what they want with
it using their expensive DSLAM. This is where they filter and shape and
force their policies on their resellers. The ??? in this case may
also be some of Bell's networking equipment.

Now, naturally it's hard for a newcomer to compete because they have to
either borrow the incumbet's stuff (copper, DLSAMs, maybe even buy
backhaul "THE_INTERNET"). Or they can invest heavily in
their own DSLAMS (still gotta pay rent to Bell to keep them in Bell's
"Central Office" buildings though), and/or their own internal tubez/backhaul
peerage/last mile. Some ISPs do this, for example Waightman Telecom,
which offers Fiber To The Home (FFTH) in some new suburbs/small towns
where it's cheaper to roll out fiber and serve a whole neighbourhood at a
time (when those neighbourhoods are being freshly built of course). They
essentially cut out Bell/Rogers from that last mile -- it's fiber not copper or
coax. But obviously we aren't Europe and so this can't happen for everyone.
:-)

I hope that sheds some light.