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1994-10-09
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HYBRID ACCESS SYSTEM SERVICE
<A HREF="System.JPG"><img src="System.GIF">
Service Description
The Hybrid Access System (HAS) service is the first affordable, Ethernet speed
metropolitan area network. This service also provides the necessary
infrastructure needed to deliver high-speed digital information (10 Mbps) to
remote locations from any centrally located Information Provider. Subscribers
pay a monthly fee to receive the shared high-speed digital transmission
facility at remote locations such as business offices, homes or schools. The
HAS service is much faster and less expensive than leased high-speed telephone
(e.g., T1) lines.
Key Professional Applications
There are several major professional applications for the HAS. One key
application is telecommuting. With the HAS, one has the capability to use a
powerful workstation, personal computer or interactive graphics terminal (e.g.,
X-terminal) at home and operate it as easily as a user located in a central
office directly connected to an Ethernet local area network.
Another key application is high-speed remote Internet access. Utilizing the
HAS, remote users can receive information from the Internet at Ethernet speeds
(approx. 10 Mbps) that far surpass the current 9600 bps to 64K bps transmission
rate available with telephone modems or ISDN service. The HAS is a low cost
practical means for individuals, small businesses, and telecommuting employees
of large corporations to receive the same quality high-speed access to the
Internet as large institutions already connected to the Internet and its vast
resources. These resources include instantaneous connectivity to electronic
mail, various news services, computerized library catalogs, bulletin boards,
sophisticated graphics, and database services that are stored on over a million
servers worldwide.
The HAS service enables Information Providers to distribute multimedia software
such as images, graphics and sound, and large data files. Executable code,
such as software up-dates and other forms of digital information, can be sent
to customers or remote corporate sites at an affordable cost. The HAS is
especially well suited for digital broadcast or multicast forms of software
distribution.
Interactive imaging and graphics applications are similar key applications for
this service. Remote CAD/CAE and remote computer publishing using bit mapped
graphics are only two examples of this type of application. Users at a remote
location can now work with on-line graphics and image based applications
without the inconvenience of carrying diskettes, CD-ROMs or any like forms of
storage media. Utilizing the HAS, remote users can quickly access vast amounts
of centrally located multimedia databases.
Theory of Operation
The HAS collects and distributes high-speed digital information in the form of
encrypted variable length data packets. Information is first collected from
multiple Information Providers (See Figure). It is then broadcast over the air
or transmitted downstream via a cable TV network (CATV) to remote sites
subscribing to the service. A remote link adapter
(RLA)* at the remote location receives the high-speed digital signal and sends
it to the remote workstation via an Ethernet interface or direct bus connection
for further processing. The remote user communicates with the central
Information Provider(s) via an independent return channel which operates at a
much slower rate than the downstream channel. The return channel can be CATV,
telephone or ISDN facilities. The HAS is completely transparent to the upper
layer protocols and network applications.
Points of Presence
Each HAS Point of Presence (PoP) is located in a selected metropolitan area.
The Hybrid PoP is the connection between the Internet or other Information
Providers (see below) and the cable TV headend or wireless transmission site.
The PoP consists of dial-up and convential routers, modem racks, Hybrid
routers, and Ethernet hubs and switches which connect all of the above
equipment. The PoP sends and receives data to the Internet or Information
Providers via multiple T1 lines. The cable TV headends or wireless transmitter
sites can be connected to the PoP via coaxial cable, wireless links, or fiber.
Each cable TV headend requires a Hybrid Repeater to transmit the 6 MHz signal
to the remote user. The cable channel(s) used by Hybrid is fully tunable from
50 MHz to 450 MHz.
Applicable Products
RLAs must be purchased for remote sites in order to use the HAS service. Two
RLA versions are available. The RLA Model 210 SBus is designed for SBus
compatible Workstations. The RLA Model 110 is designed for any remote device
with an Ethernet interface running TCP/IP protocols. These include PCs, Macs,
X-Terminals or any other Workstation products.
HAS Subscribers
Subscribers are any remote sites that receive the HAS service. All subscribers
require an RLA. Each RLA has a unique address. Workstations at the
subscriber's location need to be properly authorized and appropriately
registered in order to be able to receive digital information from the
channel.
The HAS architecture is fully non-blocking and scalable, permitting service to
be offered to an unlimited number of users.
Information Providers
These are organizations that wish to use the service to distribute high-speed
digital information. For example, a corporation offering telecommuting
services to its employees is one type of an Information Provider. Digital
encryption and other forms of security for Hybrid's products are available in
order to protect the privacy of multiple Information Providers who may share
the same channel.
Another type of Information Provider is a corporation that wants to deliver
large quantities of electronic multimedia information to its customers on a
continuing basis. The economics of the HAS make the service much more
affordable to both subscribers and Information Providers. With the HAS, there
is no more shipping CD ROMs, diskettes or any other form of permanent storage
media by mail. The HAS is the preferred electronic distribution system of the
future.
Billing and Support
Hybrid offers various billing packages depending on the services provided.
Support for the service, equipment and service installation is offered by
Hybrid in conjunction with local CATV operators (cable or wireless) who are
offering the HAS service. Please contact Hybrid at (408) 725-3250 or email to
css@hybrid.com regarding the billing package applicable to your needs.