MANAGING THE LAST MILE

No matter how good the transmission technology, ii you can not manage it, you can not use it. Telecommunications planners are faced with sim ultaneously provisioning the explosion of lines linking homes and busi nesses with central offices and planning for a future where highly sop histicated interactive broadband services must be provided. Managing a ll portions of the network is complicated, but none more so than the a ccess network known colloquially as ''the last mile,'' the low data sp eed capacity lines that actually connect the home or business to the h igh-speed network. Before a line used for Plain Old Telephone Service, called a leap, can be used in higher speed applications it must be ch ecked to make sure that it has the right electrical characteristics. T he evolution of the loop from POTS to midband to broadband usage is ex amined emphasizing the relevant plant administration processes. Using today'special service administration is an expensive way to provide se rvice. Alternates to special service provisioning are described.