atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Question about SLC96

* “...refer to them interchangeably as "RTs" or "pair gain" as well.”
- pair gain= generic term for digital carriers that are employed to serve customers rather than do inter-office. (There is/was an equipment manufacture that is called Pairgain which adds to the confusion.)
RT= remote terminal. The outside end as opposed to the Central Office End. That’s a completely generic term that would apply to all pair gain (using the generic term) devices.

* “Isn't a SLC96 just a glorified channel bank?” Yes, absolutely! Same mechanics as “D4” also… SLC96 operating in Mode I (II and III are more concentrated) is identical to D4 banks.

* “If so, I would think that it just takes in a T1 and emulates 24 analog circuits, correct?” Only in Mode I… again there are other configurations that allow more concentration of circuits than 24 to 1 bank.

DSL of any flavor will not pass through channel banks… Channel banks still operate on the philosophy of digitizing analog signals to place them on the digital carrier… There is no technology that could allow that sort of “fixed bandwidth” to ride a channelized T1 cxr.

DSLAM’s really require being fed by fiber… There are plenty of NGDLC (Next Generation Digital Loop Carriers) that, by definition, are broadband capable that can replace legacy DLC’s (remember DLC and pair gain with a lower case “p” can be used interchangably.) BUT unless that location is already fiber fed the swapping of systems is VERY time consuming and costly.