NECA releases Trends 2010

This report outlines the state of technology of NECA’s 1,100 traffic sensitive (TS) pool members. These telcos serve some of the smallest customer bases spread over vast geographical areas covering 39 percent of total U.S. land mass, requiring more resources per customer than their larger counterparts. Nonetheless, they provide a variety of broadband-based solutions to help keep local businesses, educational institutions and rural economies vibrant. Adoption and deployment rates among pool members track closely with national averages. While traditional broadband delivery methods continue to grow among pool members - DSL lines increased by 10 percent over 2009 - they are also deploying other technologies, including:

• Ethernet - between 2007 and 2010, the percentage of pool members offering Ethernet transmission services rose from 18 percent to 36 percent. Ethernet is a low-cost packet technology that can be used to transport voice, data and video services.
• IP enabled switches (softswitches) - the number of members who reported deploying softswitches rose by ten percent, from 402 to 445. Softswitches provide integrated voice and broadband services to customers over a common network.