PDF of this tutorialDefinition
The full-service network (FSN) is a telecommunications infrastructure capable of providing all of today's known telecommunications applications as well as laying the foundation for future applications. This definition does not imply that the infrastructure is owned by one entity or that only one medium carries all applications.
Overview
Integration of telephony, data, and video services into a unified network has been a topic of intense study and discussion by system planners in the 1990s. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the resulting push toward deregulation has only intensified the planners' quest for full-service network solutions. In this light, operators are implementing and investigating multiple network options, including wireless, hybrid fiber/coax (HFC), and fiber-to-the-curb. To date, the major focus has been implementing the FSN in urban environments. This tutorial reviews the FSN as deployed in a rural setting.
In the context of this tutorial, only that part of the FSN from the central office (CO) or headend to the subscriber is considered. As such, the interoffice and backbone facilities required to implement the FSN are not considered. Additionally, this tutorial looks at the FSN from primarily the independent telcos' perspective, although the same issues and principles apply to other local-loop providers, such as cable-television (CATV) operators or RBOCs. Furthermore, the scope is on that part of the local-loop required to service rural portions of North America; specifically, the focus is on those areas with fewer than 20 homes per mile.
