A reference architecture and signalling protocols for access networks

This paper discusses the reference architecture and the protocol structure of access networks. As an example of an access network, one could think of a bidirectional hybrid fibre coax (HFC) network. The network architecture of access networks is changing because of their evolution from distributive networks to switched networks. New functions are introduced in the network architecture and a reference model for access networks is defined, that was not available previously. The paper also describes the signalling protocol stacks in an access network and defines which new protocols are necessary