Triple-Play Service Deployment

Chapter 4: Troubleshooting the Copper Plant for IP Services
Developing a Test Strategy
A comprehensive test strategy to ensure that the copper plant is
qualified to deliver reliable triple-play services must ensure that
field technicians utilize best practices to deliver fast problem
resolution and avoid call-backs. The best approach for turn-up
typically begins at the physical layer and works through to the
service layer for installation and the reverse for troubleshooting.
The copper plant is tested first during turn-up because the metallic
layer must be qualified as a prerequisite for delivery of triple-play
services. For troubleshooting, the service is tested first and then
xDSL tests are performed. This enables fast identification
of network versus content problems that are usually outside of
the technician’s control and avoids wasting time sectionalizing
the problem.
There may be exceptions to this recommended flow. For instance,
if the pair(s) to be put in service were exhaustively pre-qualified
and checked ‘good’ immediately prior to installation, it may not be
necessary to begin with the full battery of recommended metallic/
physical layer tests. Rather, beginning with a VDSL test at the serving
terminal or network interface device may suffice. The technician
would then drill down to physical layer testing if a problem was
detected. The following diagram shows a complete installation
testing flow.
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