On Tue, 7/14/09, kemartin at snet.net wrote:

> One has to wonder with the downfall of Nortel what effect it will
> make on the "Nortel MG9000 ABI Remote" or future additions?

Well, what about maintenance, upgrades, additions, etc. on all of the
embedded Nortel DMS equipment, all over Canada, the US, and the
Caribbean, as well as other parts of the world? I don't necessarily
expect telcos to have fast-tracked replacement of embedded Nortel
switches! Who's going to take over the upkeep of all of that long
time existing Nortel equipment if Nortel completely belly-up?

Regarding the New Orleans Aurora 1AESS being replaced with this
Nortel remote packet switch... I did find it a bit puzzling considering
Nortel's troubles. But also for about three years now, there has been
that co-located Alcatel/Lucent 5ESS-Remote switch co-located at Aurora
which provides dialtone to eastbank downriver communities (now simply localities
within the overall New Orleans ratecenter, and no longer
distinct ratecenters of their own -- of Port Sulphur LA and Buras LA --
which lost their previous central office due to Katrina damage.

I had been thinking since 2006 when BellSouth was doing their initial
post-Katrina restoration, that since there was this co-located 5E-Remote
and Bell was also KEEPING the previously existing 1AESS which was the
ONLY remaining 1AESS in New Orleans, that "at some point in the future",
either the 5E-Remote would be expanded/upgraded to a full-fledged
standalone 5ESS and "absorb" the customers/loops/504-39x codes of the
Aurora 1AESS, or else the 5E-Remote would absorb it still as a remote.

At the time of Katrina, there were still three OTHER 1AESS offices in
New Orleans: Lake NWORLALKCG0 (504-28x), Mid City NWORLAMCCG0 (504-48x),
and Chalmette NWORLACMCG0 (504-27x). These three c.o.switches suffered
severe water/flood damage from Katrina. AND the neighborhoods served as
well were horribly devastated. It is taking time for people to return,
rebuild, repair, etc. A lot of houses were subsequently demolished, and
the neighborhoods still somewhat abandoned compared to four years ago.

Lake already had a co-located 5E-Remote, NWORLALKRS1 (504-280), hosted
by the New Orleans Main 5ESS (NWORLAMADS0) for several years to provide
digital (ISDN?) service to the Lakefront Campus of the University of
New Orleans. It was always anticipated that when BellSouth would
eventually retire the 1AESS at Lake, that they would upgrade this
existing co-located 5E-Remote to a full stand-alone 5ESS, and have it
"absorb" the customers and 504-28x's of the old Main 1AESS. With the
Katrina situation, the 5E-Remote AS A REMOTE, absorbed the 504-28x
codes and returning customers to the "Gentilly" and Lakefront area.

The "Mid City" and "Chalmette" 1As had new 5E-Remotes added/co-located
shortly after Katrina. The Mid City 1A was completely replaced with the
new 5E-Remote. The new 5E-Remote co-located at Chalmette was initially
to provide dialtone to some east-bank downriver communities who had
their c.o.switches destroyed or severely damaged due to Katrina:
St.Bernard LA (504-682), Delacroix LA (504-684), Ysclowsky LA (504-676),
and Pointe-a-la-Hache LA (985-333 which later switched back to the
504-333 code but consolidated into the -7xxx thousands as well).

And then BellSouth mentions that the 1A at Chalmette would be retired,
all existing 504-27x customers migrated to the recently installed
co-located 5E-Remote initially intended for outlying/downriver areas
on the east bank which lost their previous central offices due to
Katrina.

So, I had always though that this new co-located 5E-Remote at Aurora
would somehow eventually absorb the 504-39x customers when the 1AESS
was being retired. Either as a remote, or by upgrading. The Aurora
area of the New Orleans metro area (west bank) suffered rather little
Katrina damage compared to many other parts of New Orleans. A lot of
people returned early, and had minor damage to take care of. Utilities
on the west bank were restored much sooner, etc. Maybe a remote would
be too small, and the existing 5E-remote would need to be expanded to
a full stand-alone? I don't know.

But SOMETHING must have going on "behind the scenes" between BellSouth
or at&t/SBC, and Nortel, to replace the 25+ year old 1AESS with this
Nortel remote packet switch (considering Nortel's recent troubles),
even though there was a co-located Lucent/Alcatel 5E-Remote!


> Anyone know anyone in the 1A ESS being replaced?  Maybe since it is
> going to be shutdown some photos or video could be shot for the sake
> of history.

I really don't know anyone with at&t/BellSouth in New Orleans.
And while some long-time switchmen at Aurora might make some of their
own personal videos, I highly doubt that at&t/BellSouth security and
corporate would want any "outsiders" in their building especially in
this post-9/11/01 world! :(

mjc