In reply to a post by Ignitionnet:

In reply to a post by lockyatlrg:

Very much doubt it will involve LLU product, it will be over the BT wholesale network.

You doubt wrongly.

You expect GEA then? Or could it be VULA?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

In reply to a post by Ignitionnet:

In reply to a post by lockyatlrg:

Very much doubt it will involve LLU product, it will be over the BT wholesale network.

You doubt wrongly.

You expect GEA then? Or could it be VULA?

... What are the differences? :$

In reply to a post by blueacid:

You expect GEA then? Or could it be VULA?

... What are the differences? :$

GEA is ethernet handover at the exchange from Openreach to the ISP/Wholesaler's DSLAM/MSAN. So completely avoids BT Wholesale - unless of course some backhaul is separately rented from them.

VULA seems to be going through the BT Wholesale MSANs and onto BT Wholesale backhaul, being handed over to the ISP at some later point. It still avoids WBC and its DLM system so far as I can tell.

Anybody with corrections or more info pleaseeee ....

(Edit - typo).

Edited by RobertoS (Thu 02-Dec-10 14:36:09)

any info on contract length or pricing ?

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

GEA is ethernet handover at the exchange from Openreach to the ISP/Wholesaler's DSLAM/MSAN. So completely avoids BT Wholesale - unless of course some backhaul is separately rented from them.

VLA seems to be going through the BT Wholesale MSANs and onto BT Wholesale backhaul, being handed over to the ISP at some later point. It still avoids WBC and its DLM system so far as I can tell.

Anybody with corrections or more info pleaseeee ....

That's how I understood it from these forums too.

I assumed that GEA will avoid any Virtual Path contention in the backhaul, whereas VLA could be subject to this in load conditions.

I wonder if VULA would allow LLU operators to have FTTC presence in exchanges without their equipment. Could be good news for the smaller operators (NewNet, Zen etc)

edit - typo

Edited by jchamier (Thu 02-Dec-10 14:38:17)

I wonder if VULA would allow LLU operators to have FTTC presence in exchanges without their equipment. Could be good news for the smaller operators (NewNet, Zen etc)

That hadn't occurred to me. I wonder what the pricing will be like though?

VULA doesn't touch BT Wholesale, where did you get that idea?

It's GEA with extra control.

In reference to www.silicon.com/technology/networks/2010/10/07/fibre-bt-must-give-r...:

Under Ofcom's framework, access to BT's fibre lines will be regulated via a wholesale access product called virtual loop unbundling, or Vula, which BT will be obliged to make available to other ISPs so they can provide superfast broadband services to their own customers.

BT currently offers wholesale fibre access via a product called GEA (generic Ethernet access). According to Ofcom, GEA is "pretty close" to the characteristics it's looking for in Vula, adding that GEA will be developed further to bring it more in line with the Ofcom framework.

"BT earlier in the year announced what they called Generic Ethernet Access which is their version of Vula," McIntosh said. "It was a very early stage of development at that point and they with industry have been looking at how this should be developed."

Ofcom's aim is to ensure ISPs using BT's superfast network gain adequate control over any services they offer. "[Vula] is intended to provide companies like TalkTalk and others who are competing in this market with the sort of control over the services they provide that they have currently in the LLU [local loop unbundling] environment," said Stuart McIntosh, competition partner at Ofcom.

"We think the GEA product which BT is providing is pretty close to the sort of characteristics that we're looking for in a virtually unbundled wholesale local access product.

"There are some things that probably still have to be developed - and we need also to recognise that these things do not stand still. This product will get out into the market and it will evolve."

According to McIntosh, Vula specifies a number of provisions the regulator believes are important for ISPs to ensure they have adequate control and flexibility over their services - such as ensuring ISPs buying Vula get dedicated capacity that is not shared with others, and that there is no contention on the lines.

Thanks for that, but still no mention of BT Wholesale there. It's a wholesale access product, so is LLU, neither goes near BT Wholesale.

Per my above VULA is GEA with extra control, specifically over MSAN ports and removal of IP profiles, in order to emulate an unbundled loop.

No Bob, the FTTC they will rebadge/resell is an Openreach one, so just the usual culprits in the cab.