Table of Contents:

Definition and Overview

1. Rural Market Characteristics

2. Population Shifts and Changed Expectations

3. Rural versus Urban Telephony

4. Rural FSN Architectures

5. HFC Network for Rural Applications

6. A Fiber System for the Rural FSN

7. Wireless Access to the Rural FSN

8. High-Speed Digital Access in the Rural FSN

9. Conclusion

Self-Test

Glossary

PDF of this tutorial

CPE
customer premise equipment

DBS
direct broadcast satellite

DSL
digital subscriber line

DSLAM
digital subscriber line access multiplexer

DTH
direct to home

FSN
full-service network

HFC
hybrid fiber/coax

ISDN
integrated switched digital network

ISP
Internet service provider

MMDS
multichannel multipoint distribution system

NID
network interface device

ONU
optical network unit

PCS
personal communications services

POTS
plain old telephone service

RBOC
regional Bell operating company