Subscribers' premises networks for the belgian broadband experiment

In the Belgian Broadband experiment, aiming at fully ATM oriented broadband demonstration network by 1992, one of the building blocks is the Subscribers' Premises Network (SPN), consisting of NT1 and NT2 of the CCITT reference model, and interworking units to narrowband ISDN and LANs. This paper analyses the needs of a wide range of subscribers with emphasis on a common terminal interface for every environment, in order to obtain terminal portability. The advantages of full ATM for the SPN environment are outlined. A concept to achieve this is described, using a two-tier architecture for modular sizing, and interworking units to interface with the non-ATM environment. The two-tier architecture offers a solution in two levels, being a Broadband Backbone Network BBN, surrounded by a variable number of satelites, the Terminal Distribution Network TDN, to which terminals are connected directly. For this TDN active and passive solutions are compared The paper then describes hardware and software structure of the Belgian SPN, including operation and maintenance aspects and man-machine interface. Some block diagrams and concepts will be further explained.