How can service providers future-proof themselves against competition in the local loop?

The competitive nature of the local loop is examined. Given the convergence of services, the access network must be designed to serve all subscribers with all types of services utilizing all available distribution media. A flexible architecture for platforms deployed in the local loop will be paramount in allowing a service provider to deal with such diversities. The distributed bandwidth architecture proposed offers a future-proof solution that leaves the door open for new services and distribution media as the access network needs mandate.