DSL broadband service provider
ntl:Telewest is
offering businesses a way to improve the quality of their network
connection, which it says would make
DSL more practical for corporate use.
The download and upload speeds for home users of DSL is highly
unpredictable and depends on the number of people connected to the
same line. This unpredictability makes DSL unsuitable for critical
business use, where users and applications like IP telephony and
video conferencing require guaranteed bandwidth.
ntl:Telewest Business, part of the Virgin Media group, has
upgraded its network infrastructure to offer
Class of
Service options (CoS) on its DSL service. Class of Service
(CoS) is a way for users to identify types of network traffic that
require more bandwidth. The CoS from ntl:Telewest would enable
smaller businesses and those that need to connect multiple branch
offices to benefit from traffic prioritisation throughout their
network, ntl:Telewest said. Such prioritisation would ensure that
users, branches and core applications obtain the bandwidth they
need.
"For the first time, businesses can exert the same control over
traffic on their DSL lines as the rest of the network," said
Stephen Beynon, MD of ntl:Telewest Business. "This makes the use of
IP voice and other performance-sensitive applications a reality to
all users of the network, not just those on the core. It will mean
businesses really can capitalise on these applications for their
home workers and smaller offices."