| Abstract: | This paper presents a first cost analysis of a broadband local access system based on the switched star architecture. The per-subscriber cost, including all network components from the customer premises interface to the central office switch termination, is established. Both near-term and long-range per-subscriber costs based on technology trend forecasts are obtained and serve as a bench-mark. These results are used for comparisons of the relative costs of offering different broadband access capabilities. The analysis identifies the most important elements in the per-subscriber cost and explores trade-offs and possibilities for cost reduction. |
