MPLS TECHNOLOGY: DSL ACCESS
QoDSL - What is unique about IZR's proposition and why is it so special?
The advent of MPLS (Multi Protocol Label Switching) gave IP networks the ability to differentiate between different types of data. MPLS is a software enhancement to the IP network that marks groups of data packets with labels describing how they should be handled as they are routed across the network. Some, such as voice or streams of live video, are awarded a higher priority, whilst others, such as email or routine backups, can be transmitted on an as available basis.
This seemingly innocuous improvement to IP allows prioritised performance by "Class of Service" and gives voice traffic the guaranteed throughput it needs to provide clear uninterrupted calls. This capability is also commonly referred to as Quality of Service (QoS). As such MPLS enabled networks are able to deliver Quality of Service (QoS).
These QoS based IPVPN networks have been used by the larger corporation for a number of years to link together the larger sites. However this technology is not cost effective for smaller sites as the lowest cost access mechanism that can be used has been a leased line.
DSL or broadband networks have also been available to provide connectivity to smaller sites for a number of years. The number of DSL based IPVPN connections has grown dramatically over the last three years as enterprises have taken advantage of the low cost points offered by DSL technology to link smaller sites and home workers into the corporate LAN infrastructure.
However whilst this connectivity is ideal for data applications such as email and web surfing it is not ideal for the support of voice as the quality is not guaranteed and can therefore vary dependent on the amount of traffic being generated by other applications being used on the same connection, or if used across the internet itself by the level of traffic on the internet at the point in time that the voice call is being made.
In a QoDSL enabled Managed VPN, the QoDSL features in the customer CPE and provider core network intelligently identify and route traffic based on its priority. Uniquely Tiscali provide this QoDSL feature on both contended and non contended links. The importance of this unique offering is that small sites of both large enterprises and smaller enterprises can take advantage of all the data and voice applications that have been available to the larger sites for some time.