Patent · US Expired

Method for improving the administration of the telephone local loop plant

US6026144A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
10References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 23, 1996
Grant dateFeb 15, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 23, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04Q3/0062
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a method of administering a telephone local loop plant, a substantial portion--preferably at or above 80%--of the existing narrowband plant is caused to be "dedicated," so that constituent segments of an existing local loop therewithin are not allowed to be used to form other local loops when the existing loop is taken out of service. The remainder of the narrowband plant--the "non-dedicated" plant--is used to fill subscriber current orders for new service. Administration of the narrowband plant that has been dedicated is given over to an administrative system that is deployed to administer broadband facilities within the local loop plant. In preferred embodiment, the local loop plant is upgraded from narrowband to broadband in a way which gives priority to those geographical areas for which the costs of maintaining the narrowband plant are the greatest. The method, overall, provides a mechanism for reducing the costs associated with administering all of the narrowband plant using the legacy systems.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.