Unbundling the Access Network: Technical Issues and Architectures to Boost Open Competition for Telecommunications Services

Unbundling consists in the possibility for a new operator of having special access to the incumbent’s network infrastructure, in order to provide value-added services without the necessity to duplicate the infrastructure itself. Access network unbundling has received most attention in Europe. Most European operators are interested mainly in the physical access to copper loop, which gives the opportunity of offering broadband services pervasively by exploiting the capabilities of Digital Subscriber Loop (xDSL) technology. Technical issues to be faced in offering these services are severe and include loop qualification, interference evaluation and shortage of available loops.