c a b l e - t e c e x p o cable-tec expo 2012 day · needed in the ccap environment. ... pyramid of...

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Cable gears up for CCAP The new DOCSIS – version 3.1 Continued on page 4 The next iteration of DOC- SIS, version 3.1, is going to incorporate a new modulation scheme, along with more so- phisticated forward error cor- rection (FEC). It will support transmission speeds up to 10 Gbps downstream and 1 Gbps upstream, and it assumes op- erators will reallocate as much as 160 MHz of downstream bandwidth for use on the up- stream. DOCSIS 3.1 will rely on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), used in DSL, Wi-Fi and MoCA, among other technologies. It will also replace the commonly used Reed-Solomon FEC with far more efficient low-density par- ity check (LDPC) codes. The plan is to complete the specification in 2013, so that equipment (most likely cable modems at first) will begin to be sold in 2014. With the inclusion of two key technologies that are well- established but completely $Billions up for grabs in SIP trunking – see page 28 2012 SHOW DAILY ® 3 CABLE-TEC EXPO 2012 FRIDAY October 19, 2012 CABLE-TEC EXPO DAY The payoffs for combining cable modem termination systems (CMTSs) and edge QAMs on the Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP) are obvious to the most casual observer, but there are some operational procedures and training that need to be in place in order to reap the benefits of the new CCAP platform. The session “CCAP tri- al: The verdict” addressed some of the issues that cable operators need to be Continued on page 3 Business Services We’ve got you covered. Visit us at Booth #243 www.veexinc.com TX130M+ CX350

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Cable gears up for CCAP

The new DOCSIS – version 3.1

Continued on page 4

The next iteration of DOC-SIS, version 3.1, is going to incorporate a new modulation scheme, along with more so-phisticated forward error cor-rection (FEC). It will support transmission speeds up to 10 Gbps downstream and 1 Gbps upstream, and it assumes op-erators will reallocate as much as 160 MHz of downstream bandwidth for use on the up-stream.

DOCSIS 3.1 will rely on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), used in DSL, Wi-Fi and MoCA, among

other technologies. It will also replace the commonly used Reed-Solomon FEC with far more efficient low-density par-ity check (LDPC) codes.

The plan is to complete the specification in 2013, so that

equipment (most likely cable modems at first) will begin to be sold in 2014.

With the inclusion of two key technologies that are well-established but completely

$Billions up for grabs in SIP trunking – see page 28

2 0 1 2 S H O W D A I L Y

® 3CABLE-TEC EXPO 2012

FRIDAY October 19, 2012

C A B L E - T E C E X P O

DAY

The payoffs for combining cable modem termination systems (CMTSs) and edge QAMs on the Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP) are obvious to the most casual observer, but there are some operational procedures and training that need to be in place in order to reap the benefits of the new CCAP platform.

The session “CCAP tri-al: The verdict” addressed some of the issues that cable operators need to be

Continued on page 3

Bu

sin

ess

Ser

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s We’ve got you covered.

The Ver i f icat ion ExpertsVisit us at Booth #243 www.veexinc.com

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TX130M+• 7”colortouch-screen• SLMupto1GHz• DOCSIS3.0with8x4channelbonding• T1/ISDNPRItesting• 1Gb/sThroughput• CoaxialTDR• UpstreamGenerator• Workforcemanagement,GPStracking

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foreign to cable, there’s a good argument that the next version of DOCSIS ought to be designated 4.0. Perhaps calling it 3.1 is less threatening, however, and to be fair, the MSOs are insisting that 3.1 must be fully backward-compatible so that rollouts can be performed gradually and in steps.

DOCSIS 3.1 was introduced by Jeff Finkelstein, senior director of network ar-chitecture for Cox; Howard Pfeffer, senior vice president of broadband engineering and technology for Time Warner Cable; Jorge Salinger, vice president of access ar-chitecture for Comcast; and Matt Schmitt, director of DOCSIS specifications for CableLabs, each of whom has participated in every iteration of DOCSIS thus far.

Salinger, referring to his fellow panel-ists from the “DOCSIS 3.1 specification and standard development” session, said: “I don’t know that any of us thought we’d be doing it again. It’s exciting.”

The details of DOCSIS 3.1 were heav-ily telegraphed in a paper called “The mission is possible,” co-written by leading technologists at Arris, Cisco, Intel and

Motorola and delivered earlier this year at The Cable Show (a serialized summary is available to Cable-Tec Expo attendees in CED’s Day 1 and Day 2 Show Dailies).

That paper presented almost every op-tion under consideration and said LDPC error correction showed great promise, so use of that in DOCSIS 3.1 could have been expected. It said that continuing to use single carrier modulation was not going to be practical, and though several modula-tion schemes were considered, the virtues of OFDM in particular were extolled.

The authors of the paper said that denser modulation schemes would be inevitable. Many of their examples were of 1024-QAM, but they suggested that 4096-QAM be studied. The MSO panel at Cable-Tec Expo consistently speculated about going on to 4096-QAM.

As of The Cable Show, various spec-trum splits were on the table, expanding the high end of the upstream band from 42 MHz, to as high as even 500 MHz. DOCSIS 3.1 will only go to 200 MHz.

To replace the spectrum lost to the upstream, the options were to expand

beyond 1 GHz to as high as 1.7 GHz. DOCSIS 3.1 will top off at 1.1 GHz or 1.2 GHz.

At The Cable Show, the impression given was that downstream data rates of 2 Gbps were likely to be considered, but the MSOs said they want support in the 3.1 spec for up to 10 Gbps downstream and 1 Gbps upstream.

“We’re looking at 8, 10, even 16 bits per hertz,” Finkelstein said. “That’s an astounding number.”

The combination of new technologies is expected to lead not only to extraordinary transmission speeds, but also significantly reduced cost per bit, “otherwise, there’s no reason to do this,” Schmitt said.

That will be due in part because OFDM will enable MSOs to use their spectrum more efficiently. There is also the possibility that cable will be able to leverage economies of scale (as OFDM is widely used elsewhere), as well as lever-age the innovation potential inherent in a larger vendor community.

The MSOs were adamant that any transition to 3.1 will be smooth, with backwards-compatibility with previous generations of DOCSIS assured.

“This has to start with zero plant in-vestment,” Schmitt noted.

Salinger said he expects that MSOs will install DOCSIS 3.1 CPE first, then imple-ment 3.1 on the downstream, and then finally on the upstream.

The capabilities cable will have when 3.1 is fully deployed will be formidable. John Chapman, CTO of Cisco’s Cable Ac-cess Business Unit and a co-author of the paper, told CED he expects 3.1 may end up being the last iteration of DOCSIS.

The SCTE said that while CableLabs is helping to define the 3.1 spec, it is already working in parallel with its sister organi-zation to develop training, certification and other support services. To that end, the SCTE has formed a Special Working Group to develop best practices and re-quirements to prepare HFC networks for higher-capacity signaling schemes, includ-ing DOCSIS 3.1.

Jack Moran, fellow of the technical staff for Motorola Mobility’s Home Busi-ness, has been named chair.

The new DOCSIS – version 3.1

Complete conference coverage atwww.CEDmagazine.com CABLE-TEC EXPO Show Daily Day Three October 19, 2012 3

Continued from page 1

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aware of when deploying CCAP, as well as a rundown of Comcast’s CCAP trial that started last year.

“It’s not just about dropping in anoth-er box,” said Jorge Salinger, Comcast’s vice president of access architecture. “It’s a different beast to manage and de-ploy. It’s a different ballgame when all of your revenue is running through one box. You have to be careful.”

Salinger said Comcast’s trial was all about operational readiness. The trial used equipment that wasn’t fully CCAP-compli-ant, since that type of equipment hasn’t become available until this year, but it gave Comcast the opportunity to see what kinds of tools, including traps and alarms, were needed in the CCAP environment.

Salinger said CCAP would be “mas-sively deployed” next year, but there’s still work to be done around creating a foun-

dation for CCAP. From an organizational standpoint, Salinger said training needs to occur between the DOCSIS and video groups that previously operated separately prior to CCAP. Training should start at the engineering level to create a pyramid of learning from a smaller group to a larger group, Salinger said.

From an equipment standpoint, cable operators may not be ready to jump in with both feet on a full CCAP rollout of equipment, but cable operators can still take advantage of the CCAP-enabled edge QAM capabilities as they expand their narrowcast services. According to Salinger, this approach doesn’t “strand the investment” in the short term, and it allows cable operators to migrate to full CCAP at a later date.

CCAP also provides an easy transi-tion from one technology to another. When DOCSIS 3.1 lifts off, cable oper-

ators won’t need to make any hardware changes; they’ll just need to swap out line cards.

On the tools front, Applied Broad-band CEO Jason Schnitzer spoke about DCE, which is a system he developed with Comcast. DCE is an XML-based protocol for configuration management in CCAP. DCE provides a modeling environment with a device configuration emulator.

Motorola Mobility’s John Holobinko, vice president of strategy and busi-ness development, spoke about service group alignments for CCAP. Holobinko said cable operators need to plan for the alignment of video and data service groups, which differ in size. With CCAP and edge QAMs providing a new level of economics, old methods, such as QAM striping, are no longer viable, ac-cording to Holobinko.

Continued from page 1

Cable gears up for CCAP

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The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers has tabbed Cox Communications executive vice president and CTO Kevin Hart as its program committee chairman for next year’s edition of its SCTE Cable-Tec Expo in New Orleans.

“Kevin Hart’s deep background in IT is indicative of how new technologies are changing the skill sets of cable engineering and operations professionals,” said Mark Dzuban, president and CEO of SCTE. “We’re grateful to Kevin for accepting the role of program committee chair for Cable-Tec Expo 2013 and look forward to working with him to develop strong education

content for our industry’s next-generation workforce.”

Hart takes over the chairman’s role from Time Warner Cable’s Jim Ludington, executive vice president of network national operations.

Hart, who came over to Cox from Clearwire last year, has more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications and information technology industries. Hart’s background includes IT, cable, telco and wireless experience.

“Advances in technology, new consumer behavior and our own desire to excel have quickened the pace of change in cable engineering,” Hart said. “My goal for the Cable-Tec Expo 2013 Program Committee is simple and straightforward: to drive the development of a technology educational agenda that can maximize future success for our industry and our

workforce.”Prior to joining Cox, Hart

was CIO of Clearwire, where he led the transformation of the IT organization during nationwide deployment of the company’s 4G wireless broadband service. Previously, as CIO of Level 3 Communications, Hart implemented initiatives that streamlined legacy processes and aligned objectives across Level 3 and eight acquisitions.

Hart also served as the global leader and vice president of the telecom, media, entertainment and OSS practice with Capgemini Consulting. He began his professional career with SBC Communications.

Hart steps up as next Cable-Tec Expo chairman

SD1210Vecima.pdf 1 10/8/12 9:12 AM

Complete conference coverage atwww.CEDmagazine.comCABLE-TEC EXPO Show Daily Day Three October 19, 2012�

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The Society of Cable Telecommunications En-gineers Foundation an-nounced that the cable in-dustry collectively donated $965,000 to its Advancing Cable Excellence (ACE) campaign.

The funds will be used to advance the capabilities of the cable telecommunica-tions engineering workforce.

Corporate donors included:• Alpha Technologies• Arris• Cisco Systems• Comcast• CommScope• Cox• Ericsson• Liberty Global• Motorola• Time Warner Cable.

The funding was an-nounced Wednesday night by Mike LaJoie, executive vice president and CTO of Time Warner Cable and chair-man of the SCTE board of directors, at the Chairman’s Reception at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo.

“As our industry continues to evolve, there is a growing

need to ensure that current and prospective members of the cable work-force have access to new opportunities that can foster career growth,” said Tony Werner, executive vice president and CTO of Comcast and chairman of the board of directors of the SCTE Founda-tion. “The commitments that have been made by our initial ACE donors will en-able the Foundation to offer programs that support the educational goals of cable engineering and operations profes-

sionals and increase the skills and the knowledge base of the industry.”

Cable community kick starts SCTE Foundation’s ACE campaign

Complete conference coverage atwww.CEDmagazine.comCABLE-TEC EXPO Show Daily Day Three October 19, 2012�

LaJoie

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TriQuint Semiconductor has introduced three new devices for cable TV infrastructure and fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) applications, including the industry’s first amplifier supporting return path DOCSIS 3.0 channel bonding with 5 MHz to 300 MHz bandwidth.

TriQuint said the amplifier could ensure long-term competitiveness and help “future-proof” incumbent cable TV systems. TriQuint said existing silicon and previous gallium arsenide (GaAs)-based solutions used for channel bonding didn’t match the bandwidth and output capability of its new amplifier, which is called the TAT3814.

The TAT3814 simplifies return path system designs by integrating 36 dB of gain and 20 dB of automatic gain control (AGC) attenuation in a single 6 x 6 mm surface-mount solution. It is suited for cable modems, DOCSIS set-top gateways (DSGs) and set-top boxes, as well as optical node and new combined line extender/optical node applications. With it, cable operators can offer high-speed data capabilities competing with FTTP systems.

“TriQuint’s new return path amplifier demonstrates how we leverage our state-of-the-art technology. We base our solutions on customer needs. Not only does the TAT3814 help cable operators expand service offerings, it also sets the stage for future network

upgrades. This is truly a device that helps them reach further and faster while gaining a competitive marketplace advantage,” said James Klein, TriQuint’s vice present and general manager for infrastructure and defense products.

TriQuint bows 1st amp for return path D3 channel bonding

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Digital Nirvana is launching its product offerings to the cable industry. Making its debut is the company’s Cable Suite, which includes: Monitor IQ, a cable monitoring system; MediaPro IQ, a content repurposing system; and ManyView IQ, an IP video distribution system.

“Our product line offers unique cost-saving and operational avantages to cable providers,” explained Ned Chini, vice president of sales and marketing at Digital Nirvana. “Our monitoring system, Monitor IQ, offers full-featured monitoring, recording and reporting for hundreds of cable channels. Key applications include ad insertion verification and validation, CALM Act compliance, adaptive bit rate/OTT streaming, and SDV/on-demand – all of which are critical monitoring areas today. Our content repurposing system, MediaPro IQ, was designed specifically for the cable market with

its ability to record encrypted cable feeds for content repurposing and rebroadcasting.”

The newest version of Digital Nirvana’s Monitor IQ, Version 3.1, is being unveiled. New features include SDI playout, flexible content archiving, real-time newscast exporting, watermark NAVE decoding, centralized management, Dolby E audio standard support, director’s audio track and H.264 video format support.

MediaPro IQ is a content repurposing system for multi-platform distribution. And ManyView IQ offers an easy and cost-effective way to deploy a private, enterprise-wide IPTV system to users who need to view real-time video signals at their desktop. The system eliminates the need for costly coaxial cabling, IP encapsulators and IP output encoders.

Digital Nirvana is located in Mega Hertz’s booth, 2421.

Digital Nirvana debuts its Cable Suite

Complete conference coverage atwww.CEDmagazine.comCABLE-TEC EXPO Show Daily Day Three October 19, 201212

Digital Nirvana’s Monitor IQ on an iPad

ATCi touts Simulsat-5b system

Antenna Technology Communications Inc. an-nounced that major U.S. cable MSOs have adopted and implemented Simulsat-5b retrofit kits in several sites across the U.S.

The Simulsat-5b system was designed to economical-ly improve upon the full-arc flexibility of multi-beam anten-nas, the original Simulsat-5. The improved Simulsat-5b was designed using the lat-est composite fabrication, computer simulation and solid modeling technologies.

“With the advent of MPEG-4/DVBS2 modula-tion, upgrading our older Simulsat customers’ sys-tems to the latest high-toler-ance design is critical for them to maintain the high-est-quality digital reception,” said ATCi CEO Gary Hatch.

ATCi is displaying Simul-sat-5b, along with communi-cations solutions/systems.

ATCi is located at booth 525.

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Effigis (formerly VGI Solutions) has announced its upcoming all-digital leakage monitoring solution. This addition expands CPAT FLEX, Effigis’ modular network monitoring system.

The new solution has two modules: the DRV3, a portable find-and-fix meter that detects signal leakage in all digital cable networks, and the DSG1, a digital signal generator that inserts an ultra-low-level digital signal between QAMs without causing interference or MER degradation.

The DRV3 and DSG1 can be configured to use up to eight digital tag codes to discriminate

between overbuild networks.“One of the many strengths of our new

all-digital leakage monitoring solution is its capability to simultaneously and continuously detect leakage in the mid-band and near LTE band,” said Daniel Babeux, vice president of business development for broadband networks at Effigis. “These new modules will be entirely backwards-compatible with the existing CPAT FLEX platform, and they highlight our continued commitment to providing our customers with innovative solutions for present and future networks.”

Effigis is located at booth 425.

Effigis intros new DRV3, DSG1 modules

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Today, video comes in dozens of flavors.

Why should you have to choose?

SeaWell Networks is showcasing what it said is the industry’s first MPEG-DASH-based live and on-demand video ad insertion solution.

The company has incorpo-rated the DASH format into its existing library of supported formats, which include Smooth Streaming, HLS and HDS. Us-ing SeaWell’s Spectrum soft-ware, network operators can convert all formats dynamically and deliver IP video content to any connected device.

SeaWell’s Spectrum pro-vides universal ABR conver-sion and delivery for network operators. With the integration of the international DASH industry standard, Spectrum enables operators to not only deliver content efficiently in DASH or any other format, but also to insert advertising into the live or VOD stream.

SeaWell is also a part of Ericsson’s multi-screen advertising demonstration at Ericsson’s booth.

SeaWell is located at booth 2002.

SeaWell shows off Spectrum

Hitron launches DOCSIS 3.0 24 x 8 wireless, voice gateway devices

Hitron Technologies Americas is launching what it said are industry-first DOCSIS 3.0 24 x 8 wireless and voice gateway devices.

The new DOCSIS/EuroDOCSIS 3.0-compliant gateway devices are built on the Puma 6MG DOCSIS chipset, 1.2 GHz Atom processor and increased memory capabilities, and they combine high-speed wireless data transfer of up to 960 Mbps (in North America) and 1 Gbps (in Europe) with 24 bonded downstream channels and eight upstream. An integrated four-port Gigabit Ethernet switch also guarantees high-speed connections to

wired customers.The CGN3 DOCSIS 3.0 24 x 8 wireless

gateway and the CGNV DOCSIS 3.0 24 x 8 EMTA wireless gateway incorporate an integrated 802.11n 3 x 3 dual-band MIMO access point that extends range and coverage with speeds of up to 450 Mbps. The CGN4 DOCSIS 3.0 24 x 8 wireless gateway delivers integrated 802.11ac 2 x 2 on the 5 GHz band, plus 802.11n 3 x 3 on the 2.4 GHz band, for a total of 1.3 Gbps of wireless dual-band throughput.

Hitron is located at booth 231.

Effigis intros new DRV3, DSG1 modules

RFMD at SCTEBooth 2324

RFMD debuts its CATV SPDT Switch—RFSW1012. Our SPDT switch is

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Developing tested, proven solutions.With a large and diverse product portfolio that includes � ber optic cable, � ber managementsystems, connectors, fusion splicers, test and inspection equipment and training fromThe Light Brigade®, AFL is uniquely positioned to provide end-to-end solutions.

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Developing tested, proven solutions.With a large and diverse product portfolio that includes � ber optic cable, � ber managementsystems, connectors, fusion splicers, test and inspection equipment and training fromThe Light Brigade®, AFL is uniquely positioned to provide end-to-end solutions.

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Thomson Video Networks is showing an advanced MPEG-2/H.264 video headend enabled by its ViBE EM series of multichan-nel HD/SD encoders, the ViBE VS7000 platform for OTT and convergent TV ser-vices, and the Sapphire MPEG video server.

The ViBE EM Series of MPEG-2/MPEG-4 AVC encoders, for HD or SD encoding, were designed for satellite and terrestrial broadcast applications, high-end IPTV operations, and other types of content aggregation.

The EM4000 HD encoder uses Thom-son’s Mustang compression technology to deliver efficiency improvements of 15 per-cent or more when encoding in MPEG-4 AVC, freeing up bandwidth that can be used to broadcast an extra channel per

multiplex or transponder. It also supports future formats, including 1080p and 3-D.

For SD encoding, the ViBE EM1000 and EM2000 encoders combine compression efficiency features and the latest preprocess-ing techniques to deliver clearer pictures with increased depth and clarity. The EM1000 and EM2000 can be configured as single-channel or multichannel units. Each channel can be independently configured for MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 encoding, extend-ing the possibilities for hybrid applications. Both encoders use the Dolby Digital and

AAC audio compression formats and sup-port up to eight stereo pairs of audio.

The ViBE VS7000 video system is an “anything in, anything out” encoding/transcoding platform for Web TV, over-the-top (OTT) services, IPTV and cable delivery. The system supports all major formats, including the latest MPEG-DASH file standard, as well as major codecs, such as MPEG transport streams, Adobe Flash, Apple HTTP Live Stream-ing and Microsoft Smooth Streaming.

Thomson is located at booth 1147.

Complete conference coverage atwww.CEDmagazine.comCABLE-TEC EXPO Show Daily Day Three October 19, 20121�

Sencore shows off monitoring toolsSencore is showing a range of

monitoring products. The DTU-236A RF Probe and RFXpert software provide real-time analysis and monitoring of RF signals – including QAM A/B/C, 8-VSB and NTSC RF channels up to 1 GHz – with a small, lightweight design that is USB-powered. The RFXpert software can be loaded by the end user on a PC or laptop to work in conjunction with the DTU-236A RF Probe. RFXpert provides complete RF analysis and logging, including level, MER, BER, constellation and spectrum, with real-time analysis, recording and decoding of MPEG-2/H.264 transport streams.

The DSA 1490 is an all-format TV/RF signal analyzer that offers engineers a portable tool for resolving digital video broadcast, transport and reception challenges. The DSA 1490 is an RF

signal testing solution for cable QAM channels, DVB-S/S2 satellite signals, 8-VSB broadcast channels and ASI MPEG streams. A spectrum analyzer and automated satellite finder, the DSA 1490 provides digital TV/RF analysis, including MER, BER, PER, EVM, noise margin, constellation and spectral analysis tests.

With the release of Sencore’s new 2.0 software/firmware package, the TXS 3600 multi-service broadcast transcoding and transrating platform now supports a set of audio transcoding features for all popular audio formats, including Dolby Digital and Digital Plus, MPEG-2, HE-AAC, and AAC-LC.

An extensive selection from Sencore’s VideoBridge product line will be on display, including the new OTT/adaptive bit rate monitoring enhancements to select VideoBridge probes and software, which help operators ensure desired QoS from the point of origination through the delivery network and on to customer premises end-viewing devices. The OTT/adaptive bit rate monitoring features in the VideoBridge products work with the new Sencore TXS 8600 transcoder or any other OTT/adaptive bit rate encoding solution on the market.

Sencore is located at booth 506.

3M debuts optical componenets for cable

3M’s PLC Optical Splitters

3M has introduced two new families of optical components designed to help cable operators increase capacity while containing costs.

The new Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexers (CWDM) from 3M feature a small, thin form factor. The Planar Light Circuit (PLC) Optical Splitters integrate with a broad range of architectures and platforms.

The CWDM family of products from 3M utilizes ultra-bend-insensitive fiber, enabling deployment in tight spaces and closures. The PLC Optical Splitters are for carriers looking to deploy RFoG or PON FTTH networks.

3M is located at booth 1441.

Thomson’s ViBE EM4000 HD encoder

Thomson’s encoders, video server on display

Sencore’s DSA 1490

defining a new vision for multiscreen tv. At Motorola, we drive the evolution of TV, everywhere, over everything to everyone.

Witness the new Motorola GT-3, three Gigapixels per second of unadulterated adaptive bit rate transcoding in just 1RU—the GT-3 represents the latest innovation in our comprehensive multiscreen solutions portfolio.

That’s not all—we’re setting the new standard in video compression technology with HEVC; we’re meeting the rocketing demand for narrowcast video with the APEX3000 Universal EdgeQAM; we’re revolutionizing the multiscreen experience with Medios DreamGallery™ and we’re redefining the home ecosystem with our new IP set-tops.

Come and see the future at BOOTH #2812.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. © 2012 Motorola Mobility LLC. All rights reserved.

Complete conference coverage atwww.CEDmagazine.comCABLE-TEC EXPO Show Daily Day Three October 19, 201220

WooshCom has introduced its CSX-1641, which is a miniature quad ASI input module with GigE input and GigE output ports that was designed for the aggregation of DVB-ASI satellite receiver streams into GigE.

With only four ports per module, engineers can tailor the overall number of ASI ports closely to their needs while also providing for a spare unit at a low cost. Multiple CSX modules may be cascaded together using the GigE ports to form aggregation groups of virtually any size. This flexible approach enables operators to choose the size of each aggregation group so as to balance out the load on the GigE outputs. Standard MPEG Null packet filtering further optimizes the output bandwidth.

The CSX-1641’s small size allows for “zero rack space install” in the wire harness area behind the satellite receivers, the company said. Alternately, up to 19 CSX’s may be mounted on a rack shelf, providing 76 ASI ports in two rack units of space.

The distributed architecture minimizes the impact of a single point of failure, which is the Achilles heel of high port count aggregators. Only content from ports upstream of the point

of failure is interrupted. Any fault is then easily isolated and eliminated by simply moving a cable until a spare module is swapped in.

WooshCom is located at booth 716.

WooshCom takes wraps off new aggregatorOutage risk analytics tool from Rev2

Rev2 is demonstrating its new system that enables ca-ble operators to analyze all manner of operations data in order to assess the risks of outages and then decide which get priority for atten-tion. The company will be demonstrating its RiskView Outage Risk Analytics report generation capability in the booth of Arris, an investor.

RiskView Outage Risk Analytics is designed to help cable operators and other service providers drive down costs and improve their customers’ experience by delivering the capability to move from a reactive, point-in-time view of data to an over time, cross-silo view of performance metrics.

By correlating informa-tion collected from data sources such as connec-tivity calls to the service center, maintenance truck rolls from field operations and telemetry from network operations, the reports provide details on out-age-related issues in the service delivery infrastruc-ture based on how much money they are costing the business.

Typical reports include the top 10 and top 20 streets, nodes or serving groups ranked according to their overall financial cost over a seven-day, two-week or one-month period.

The color-coded reports are generated in industry-standard XML, which is easily imported into spread-sheets and databases.

Rev2 is located in Arris’ booth, 2802.

WooshCom’s CSX-1641

Cyan introduces new multi-layer switch fabricCyan has made an upgrade to its Z-Series

platform, which is a multi-terabit packet and G.709 optical transport network (OTN) switch fabric that enhances the economics for router bypass in metro software-defined networks (SDNs).

The new Cyan XC-2800, a multi-terabit packet and G.709 OTN switch fabric for the Z-Series packet-optical transport platforms (P-OTPs), enables up to 2.8 Tbps of packet switching and cross-connect capacity per shelf.

When combined with Cyan’s SDN software suite and with existing Cyan P-OTP solutions, the Cyan platform supports key metro core applications, including wireless backhaul, business Ethernet, data center interconnect and wholesale

transport, among others.“Routers play an important role in the

network, but the majority of services do not require routing and can be offloaded to reduce costs and simplify operations,” said Cyan President Michael Hatfield. “Our Z-Series platforms and SDN software are helping more than 100 service providers around the world achieve these goals in a variety of applications.”

Cyan is located at booth 1507.

Cyan’s XC-2800

Complete conference coverage atwww.CEDmagazine.com CABLE-TEC EXPO Show Daily Day Three October 19, 2012 21

Trilithic is introducing a tool that collects all of a net-work system’s return data and unifies it in a common dash-board view.

The company’s ViewPoint module pulls data from Guardian 9581 SST return analyzers in the field. The data collected includes mea-surements of CPD, impulse, in-band ingress, SNR, laser clipping and others.

The Web-based ViewPoint dashboard allows MSOs to measure and grade exactly how each area in their system is performing, using percent over the alarm threshold as a common measure.

The informa-tion gathered by ViewPoint allows network managers

to monitor the performance of all system nodes in multiple ways. Individual departments within an organization can look at the dashboard with the specific limit sets that they need.

Managers can search for problem areas by country, state, city, manager, hubs or nodes and can target them for

improvements, rather than wait for potential problems to develop into actual problems, Trilithic said.

“In the past, larger op-erators had to go into every individual system and pull reports, then compare them,” noted Terry Bush, president of Trilithic. “ViewPoint was developed to respond to a critical need for more efficient troubleshooting.”

Since ViewPoint is Web-based, it is also compatible with smart devices such as iPad, iPhone and Android de-vices. Technicians can use any of these devices in the field to

get live views of active nodes.

Trilithic is located at booth 2840.

Trilithic releases tool for network monitoring

CommScope to showcase CCAP, PON platformsCommScope is rolling

out its bandwidth-enabling portfolio, which includes its Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP) and passive optical network (PON) offerings.

For the first time, CommScope is showcasing its upcoming CCAP platform – the Converged Services Platform (CSP) family of products – to the industry. The CSP product line takes the company’s current edge QAM solution – Universal Wideband, also on display – and adds support for DOCSIS upstream and MAC (media access control), native IP processing, and EPON/EPOC (EPON over Coax) support in a denser and more scalable platform.

The new PON family of solutions provides MSOs with

the ability to deliver advanced voice, video and data services to their subscribers using fiber-optic networks. The solution has been designed to be deployed in various situations, including residential FTTx, access networks for commercial accounts, multi-dwelling units, commercial in-building, security, and building automation and wireless access points.

“CommScope continues to introduce infrastructure that connects people and technologies through every evolution, as well as assist operators on what technologies to deploy to support their ever-increasing demand for bandwidth,” said Ric Johnsen, senior vice president of broadband at CommScope. “We believe CommScope is unique in offering a

complete solution portfolio, allowing operators to provide consumers with today’s advanced services while also preparing them for demands of the future.”

CommScope is located at booths 11 and 2822.

Procera nabs $1.4M follow-on order

Procera Networks has received a $1.4 million fol-low-on order from an exist-ing Tier 1 cable operator in the U.S. for PacketLogic products and services, which combine analytics with the ability to set net-work policy.

Procera said it is cur-rently installed in more than 30 North American MSOs, including five of the top 10. Its current customers represent an installed base of tens of millions of cable subscribers, Procera said.

“Cable MSOs have seen a dramatic rise in their subscribers using OTT streaming video and audio over the last year and con-tinue to look for ways to better analyze the impact of these services on their net-works,” said David Ahee, vice president of sales for the Americas at Procera.

Procera is located at booth 414.

w

Quest Controls’ New Low Cost Monitoring

The TELSEC MINI™ provides real-time visibility to your sites and are simple to install and program. Up to 32 points can be monitored including temperature, commercial power fail, DC Plant alarms, HVAC and other equipment failures. The MINIs have an intui- tive built-in web server and provides alarm notifica-tion through email and SNMP traps/informs.

See us at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo Booth 1603www.questcontrols.com

Visit Times Fiber For a

frEE

Oxygen Bar treatment!

Learn About the Effects

of Oxygen on your

Cable System!

OXYGEN

Visit us at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo Booth # 1531

Times Fiber Amphenol

SCTE RUs Offered by The Light Brigade®

The Light Brigade, a leader in fiber optic training and education, provides SCTE Recertification Units (RUs) through several fiber optic training courses including Fiber Optics 1-2-3, Advanced Hand-on Modules, Fiber Characterization, FTTx for Installers and Technicians, Certified Fiber to the Home Professional (CFHP), Emergency Restoration and DWDM. Check out these courses and more at AFL’s booth #403.

www.AFLglobal.com/go/CS260

SCTE Cable-Tec Booth #403

Create your ISP Energy Usage Baseline with EngOnyx Designer. Draw realistic floor plans and rack elevations. Load calculations performed au-tomatically by UPS/Rack/Floor Plan/Entire Facility. Model multiple facilities with any number of loca-tions, racks, devices.

Manage your facilities with EngOnyx ServLOG. Tool for technicians to colla- borate and log equipment changes.

Comes with sample equipment library for quick implementation. Fully Web-based, cloud application.

email link: www.engonyx.comCable-Tec 2012 Booth # 1815

Reduce Power Consumption/Go Green

Rack total:545.90 lb

2185.68 BTU7.20 amp

Digital Adware’s new modular insertion server, AdSync, presents service provid-ers with an affordable digital ad insertion platform. Priced considerably lower than products of its kind, AdSync also facili-tates splicing and multiplexing functions, supporting both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, eliminating an array of licensing fees. With a truly one-box solution and a reduced up-front investment, service providers can now uncover new revenue with local advertising. One Box. Low Cost. New Revenue.

finally… Affordable Local Ad Insertion

www.digitaladware.com MegaHertz Booth #2421

NEW! VPM-36 Optical Power Meter

www.viewteq.comBooth 641

• 6 preset wavelengths to 1625nm with up to 1000 storage points.

• Includes pro-gram disc, opti-cal adaptors, carrying case & cables.

Product Showcase

See us at Booth 243.

www.veexinc.com

11.40inches wide

only

inch

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only

CX380-D3DOCSIS 3.0with 8x4 Bonding

NEW

A new dimension in CATV analysis

Size Matters

A new dimension in CATV analysisA new dimension in CATV analysisA new dimension in CATV analysisA new dimension in CATV analysis

Now with FCC Proof and Digital POP functionality

Booth #2812www.motorola.com/GT3

Introducing the Motorola GT-3 ABR Transcoder, a leap-frog technology that addresses the future of TV: HD, nDVR and VOD media on multiple devices. With multi-gigapixels of throughput in just 1 RU, the GT-3 provides screaming-fast video processing that drastically reduces head-end operational costs. The GT-3 is the latest innovation in Motorola’s comprehensive portfolio of solutions for multiscreen delivery.

Screamin’ Fast Video Processing

CABLE-TEC EXPO

Sentry Assure is de-signed specifically for identifying loud commercials in the multichannel environ-ment. It combines the ability to simultaneously monitor hundreds of

channels in real-time with loudness detection capabili-

ties and post-splice ad insertion monitoring. This makes Sentry Assure an ideal solution for helping video service providers comply with the CALM Act, which requires that ads be no louder than the programs they accompany.

Tektronix Sentry Assure Helps Operators Comply with the CALM Act

http://www.tek.com/datasheet/digital-content-monitors-9Booth #537

OspreyFMS Remote Site Management & Measurement ToolOspreyFMS™ is a comprehensive dashboard for alarming, monitoring, & trending site status through a server-based, easy-to-use interface. OspreyFMS supports SNMP, BACnet and Modbus. The interface includes a map and shows key alarm, energy, site perfor-mance and weather data points. The ana-lytics tools provide reports on histories, performance and exceptions. Osprey-FMS is an intuitive, powerful tool for monitoring.

See us at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo Booth 1603www.questcontrols.com

These new handheld OTDRs enable cost- effective troubleshoot-ing of FTTx PONs and point-to-point metro/ac-cess networks. With its integrated PON power meter, the CS260-10 enables technicians to verify PON power levels at an FTTx PON ONU or ONT. The CS260-20 troubleshoots point-to-point metro/access networks operating at 1310 and/or 1550 nm.

Both include an integrated VFL for pinpointing macro-bends or breaks.

www.AFLglobal.com/go/CS260

SCTE Cable-Tec Booth #403

AFL Introduces NOYES® Contractor Series OTDRs

Electroline is showing for the first time the VAN-GUARD DMS and Digital Video and Network Moni-tor (DVM) downstream monitoring probe. Vanguard DMS is the Management system that keeps track of all the deployed DVM Installed at strategic locations in the HFC network. It is continuously scanning key performance indicators, essentially giving the opera-tor an overall health check of the RF Network and MPEG services. See it at booth 937.

Electroline VANGUARD DMS

Product Showcase

Antronix, the world leader of premium grade subscriber products offers the most advanced amplifiers, splitters, taps, grounding products and MoCA products that meet or exceed SCTE standards. Our VoIP Amplifiers, MoCA Point of Entry Filters, fiber nodes, retrofit and Milenium taps provide the foundation to increase bandwidth and deliver triple play services effortlessly. Innovation, high performance, reliability and on-time delivery makes Antronix the leader in broadband technology equipment.

ANTRONIX

www.antronix.com • Cable-Tec Booth 531

Fiber Nodes Retrofit

Product Showcase

Think Inside the Box

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The Only Business Class Grade All-in-One Toolkit You only need one box, one tool, no modules—the VePAL CX350. See us at Booth 243.

www.veexinc.com

Ours.

Booth #1043http://www.ciena.com/products/3902/

Ciena’s small (5.9”D x 5.96”W x 1.21” H) yet powerful 3902 True Carrier Ethernet demarcation switch offers 1GigE capacity and standards-based OAM tools and performance monitoring. Fan-less design eliminates noise and reduces power con-sumption, and small form factor permits desktop or wall-mount scenarios. The ultimate in flexibility for small and medium sized businesses!

www.corning.com/cablesystems

Cable-Tec Booth #1022

ALTOS® Cable with FastAccess™ Technology

Fast Access Technology is a new way of designing cable jackets to deliver all the durability and ruggedness you expect from an outside plant cable, and yet it peels away on command. It’s cable access made easy. Downright elegant. Maybe even a little fun. Visit our website to learn more.

CABLE-TEC EXPO

Booth 525www.atci.com

Broadcast from anywhere

to anywhere

with LiveStreamPac PRO

LiveStreamPac PrO Mobile Broadcasting

System from ATCi

Blonder Tongue’s Single Channel HD Encoder

This fifth generation MPEG-2 encoder is particularly well suited for delivering SD/HDTV and digital sig-nage services using minimal bandwidth in a variety of facilities such as universities, cable headends, hospitals, MDUs, stadiums, airports, and retail stores. QAM, IP, and ASI outputs are available simul-taneously. Compact design allows for deployment of three encoders in 1RU.

http://www.blondertongue.com/mpeg-2-hd-encoder-6382.aspxVisit us at Booth # 2021

Ciena is demonstrating new software capabilities for its packet networking portfolio that enable network and carrier managed service providers to improve the end user experience for Ethernet services, such as mobile backhaul, business services and cloud applications.

New features in both Ciena’s Service-Aware Operating System (SAOS) and its OneControl Unified Management System reduce installation and provisioning time by as much as 75 percent, enable rapid service changes, and provide end customers with immediate assurance of service performance.

In addition, Ciena’s new cloud-based portal allows providers to validate end-to-end service-level agreement (SLA) compliance throughout the service lifecycle. The new software capabilities align with OPn, Ciena’s approach for building open, programmable, next-

generation networks that scale and automatically adapt to quickly deliver new services and bandwidth.

“The entire Ciena team – from day-to-day sales, marketing, training and technical support – invests the right amount of time and resources to meet our needs. It is clear that Ciena has made our success in Metro Ethernet a corporate priority, and their creativity and energy in pushing that priority has been instrumental to our success,” said Comcast’s Mark Schweitzer, senior vice president of marketing and product management. “We look forward to growing our partnership with Ciena in innovative ways that will continue to help us build a strong brand position and support our ongoing success in delivering a broad range of reliable, high-performance Ethernet services to business customers.”

Ciena is located at booth 1043.

Ciena demos packet software to boost Ethernet speed

Complete conference coverage atwww.CEDmagazine.comCABLE-TEC EXPO Show Daily Day Three October 19, 20122�

Sponsored by:

CED Congratulates the Winners of the 9th Annual Pacesetter Awards

ADVANCED ARCHITECTURESRodney Lanham

Vice President, Technical OperationsSuddenlinkTM

Sponsored by: Aurora Networks

MULTI-SCREEN TECHNOLOGYRob MartellSVP eMediaCablevision

Sponsored by: Envivio

100G IMPLEMENTATIONCraig Mathis

Principal EngineerRouting & Optical Platforms

Bright House Networks

Sponsored by: Fujitsu

IP VIDEO TECHNOLOGYCarlos Alvarez

CEOCablemas

Sponsored by: Evolution Digital • Conax • Cubiware

TEST & MEASUREMENTMark Quirk

Area Operations ManagerCablevision

Mike MatsonDirector – Compliance

Cablevision

Sponsored by: VeEX, Inc.

Visit us at the Cable-Tec Expo, Booth #1833

Complete conference coverage atwww.CEDmagazine.comCABLE-TEC EXPO Show Daily Day Three October 19, 20122�

A half dozen engineers received CED Pacesetter Awards last night in recognition of their de-

ployment of new and innovative cable technologies.

There’s always a bit of risk associated with being among the first to imple-ment a new technology. The Pacesetter Awards honor those engineers who do the research and commit to a technological path that few, if any, have traveled before.

The value is not just for the compa-nies who are willing to experiment as they innovate, but also for others who can learn by the example.

100G ImplementationThe Pacesetter for 100G Imple-

mentation was bestowed upon Craig Mathis, principal engineer of routing and optical platforms at Bright House Networks. Mathis was recognized for bringing 100G performance to the metro networks used to deliver bandwidth to customers of Bright House Networks.

The award was sponsored by Fujitsu Networks.

Advanced ArchitecturesRodney Lanham, vice president of

technical operations at Suddenlink, was the recipient of the Pacesetter for Advanced Architectures. Having identified the potential of digital return technology in the upstream, Lanham implemented 64-QAM in the upstream throughout the Suddenlink footprint. Furthermore, Lanham has championed the deployment of services to commer-cial customers using Aurora Networks’ distributed PON OLT (Node PON).

The award was sponsored by Aurora Networks.

IP Video TechnologyThe recipient of the Pacesetter Award

for IP Video Technology was Carlos Alvarez, director general at Cablemás. Alvarez helped lead his company’s earlier transition from analog to digital and the current evolution from digital to Hybrid IP, paving the way for products and ser-vices such as IP VOD and network PVR.

The award was sponsored by Evolu-tion Digital, Conax and Cubiware.

Multi-Screen TechnologyRob Martell, senior vice president

of eMedia development at Cablevi-sion, was awarded the Pacesetter for Multi-Screen Technology. Martell was credited with helping to formulate the vision of a distributed architecture that decoupled the packaging, encryption and HTTP streaming functions from the encoding farm in order to stream-line operations and decrease risk and time to market for new adaptive stream-ing formats.

The award was sponsored by Envivio.

Test & MeasurementThe Pacesetter for Test & Measure-

ment was awarded to the team of Mark Quirk, area operations manager, and Mike Matson, director of compliance, both of Cablevision.

The award was sponsored by VeEx.

CED would like to thank all of the sponsors of our 2012 Pacesetter Awards.

CED’s Pacesetters honor technology innovators

SeaChange’s Nucleus is here to ensure that video service providers can master the shift

to personalized media consumption throughout the home.  We call it Nucleus because it

enables every device at home to connect and share all media. It works with QAM today

and it's ready for IP tomorrow.

Spare the challenges. Secure your place in subscriber homes.

WHOLE HOME DVR | MEDIA SHARING THROUGH DLNA | SMARTPHONE AND TABLET AS REMOTE CONTROL | AND MUCH MORE

SEACHANGE® NUCLEUS™ SOFT BOX. THE MARKET DISRUPTOR.

It’s time to wow your subscribers again.

www.schange.com

SCTE CABLE-TEC EXPO BOOTH 2427TELCO TV BOOTH 925

Complete conference coverage atwww.CEDmagazine.comCABLE-TEC EXPO Show Daily Day Three October 19, 20122�

By Doug Wadkins, chief technical of-ficer of Edgewater Networks

Cable operators may have a golden opportunity in business services.

Old-style private branch exchanges (PBXs) in the enterprise equipment market are gradually being updated to IP PBXs, the dominant type of PBX be-ing sold today. On the one hand, some new IP-based services are possible with these new systems. On the other hand, however, time-division multiplexing (TDM) trunking of those IP PBXs is still the predominant method of inter-connection, limiting the advantages business customers can realize from IP voice in both capabilities and cost.

The solution is end-to-end VoIP, which frees IP PBXs and IP-enabled PBXs from the constraints of TDM trunking by peering between business customers and service providers. Cable companies are in a great position to exploit this opportunity.

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is the standard that IP PBX manufacturers and service providers have settled on to real-ize end-to-end VoIP. SIP was designed to be a flexible and extensible protocol, resulting in many ways to achieve the same interconnection tasks.

Flexibility and extensibility are desir-able characteristics, but with SIP, they come with a cost. Different vendors not only interpret the specifications for the protocol differently, they implement features that are specific to only their product, complicating interoperability.

Issues such as security, quality of ser-vice (QoS), call admission control and monitoring that go beyond common sig-naling and signaling normalization must also be resolved to fully define a predict-able interface model.

Defining SIP trunkingThroughout the last century, phone

$Billions up for grabs in SIP trunking

SIP trunking

MSOs have an opportunity to seize another market from telcos

calls have been made using TDM tech-nology through public switched tele-phone networks (PSTNs). Over time, these PSTNs have evolved to be made up of digital switches, but they are often 15 to 30 years old, with a lot of copper wire connecting these switches to residential and business customers.

A trunk line is a circuit connecting telephone switching equipment, as dis-tinguished from a local loop circuit, which extends from telephone switch-ing equipment to individual telephones or information origination/termination equipment.

PBX trunk lines are the phone lines coming into the PBX from the telephony service provider. These lines differ from extension lines that usually connect the PBX to individual phone sets.

So a TDM PBX trunk line is defined as the physical line, call signaling and media that connect the PBX to a pro-vider of telephony service. TDM PBX trunks use either analog or digital signal-ing carried over a single TDM connec-tion or a bundle of TDM connections. A bundle of TDM connections with digital signaling is known as a “T1 PRI” in North America.

SIP trunking is a TDM PBX trunk replacement service delivered over an IP network using SIP signaling. This im-plies that a SIP trunk must meet all regu-latory and other expectations associated with a TDM PBX trunk. One significant difference between a SIP trunk and a TDM PBX trunk is that SIP signaling is completely independent of the underly-ing transport technology and media.

Telephony services delivered over an IP infrastructure are substantially different from voice applications such as Skype that are delivered over an IP infrastructure. To reduce confusion from here on, we use the term telephony over IP (ToIP) for TDM replacement ser-vices to distinguish from services such as Skype, which are typically described as voice over IP.

Market opportunityThe growth of IP-based customer

premises equipment has helped busi-nesses upgrade and converge network infrastructures and deploy new IP-based features and capabilities.

ToIP-based services (including host-ed IP telephony and SIP trunking) and equipment offer a range of new features

Figure 1: Cable operator SIP trunking.

Complete conference coverage atwww.CEDmagazine.com CABLE-TEC EXPO Show Daily Day Three October 19, 2012 29

Figure 2: Hosted voice and video over IP installation.

• 3,078,355 single-line business-switched access lines

• Generate $31.7 billion in annual revenue for the reporting TDM service providers.

The FCC also collects data from service providers that are competitive with the TDM operators. In 2010, the Wireline Competition Bureau’s Industry Analysis and Technology Division at the FCC reported that 91.9 percent of residential ToIP was delivered by cable operators, and that only 2 per-cent of business-switched access lines were ToIP.

The explosion in data traffic from smartphones and tablets has brought these legacy networks to their knees. The existing TDM wireline service providers are focused on maintaining and adding capacity to their wireless networks. Cannibalizing their TDM-switched access line “cash cow” by de-livering ToIP services is not high on their priority list.

Clearly, the cable operators have the core network infrastructure built to deliv-er not only ToIP as a service, but to deliv-er the underlying IP network connectivity, as well. As most cable operators do not deliver legacy TDM trunking services or TDM Centrex services, cannibalization is not an issue. Business voice services represent a greenfield opportunity for cable operators. By some calculations, as much as $31.7 billion in annual switched access revenue is available to operators that deploy SIP trunking or Hosted IP Telephony (HIPT).

Technical issues, resolutionsConnection

The SIP standard was written to en-sure interoperability when integrating SIP equipment from different sources. However, inconsistencies continuously arise as different vendors interpret the SIP specifications differently.

To remedy this, the signaling normalization function is assigned to an enterprise edge device called an Enterprise SIP Gateway (ESG). n

that are not available on TDM systems, including desktop integration for pres-ence-based features.

ToIP also allows service providers the capability to offer new services, such as wireless/wireline integration, click-to-dial, telework/remote office applications and soft clients support. To extend these offerings most efficiently, service provid-ers need to be able to connect directly to PBXs at customer sites.

IP PBXs are the predominant CPE call control device being sold on the mar-ket today. In a typical business network, the IP PBX is a server that is connected to the corporate LAN and provides call control to the IP phones, PCs, confer-encing devices, wireless equipment and other communication endpoints. At the same time, it also usually interfaces with the public network through the PSTN. An IP telephony gateway establishes the PSTN connection, and this gateway can be integrated into the IP PBX or can be adjunct to the IP PBX. This gateway enables the conversion of the IP packets to TDM analog or digital signals – and the reverse.

However, this packet conversion to TDM introduces latency and the poten-tial for echo that often degrades voice quality. In addition, advanced IP-based

signaling information and features are often stripped from the transmission by the conversion, eroding the ability to deliver IP-based features. TDM routing of ToIP traffic is clearly inferior.

IP peering enables IP PBXs to con-nect directly with ToIP service providers, eliminating the need for gateways and TDM routing. Peering of ToIP services is a far better approach, enabling the full capabilities of packet-based com-munications.

While IP PBXs are the predominant new PBX systems in the market, roughly 75 percent of deployed PBX systems are legacy IP-enabled TDM systems that are still connected to the PSTN for public access. These systems can be connected to a ToIP service provider using a TDM gateway and for multi-location enter-prises with a mixed network of TDM and IP PBXs.

TDM service providers in the United States are required to report various sta-tistics to the FCC. The latest “Statistics of Communications Common Carriers” published in 2008 by the FCC contain the following data:

• 4,521,928 PRI PBX trunk lines deployed

• 41,630,524 multi-line business-switched access lines

Read this feature in its entirety in CED’s October issue, located in the Cable-Tec Expo publication bins.

Complete conference coverage atwww.CEDmagazine.comCABLE-TEC EXPO Show Daily Day Three October 19, 201230

and bandwidth costs as their multi-screen content libraries grow.• Defeating ad-defeaters – JITP is particu- larly useful in TV Everywhere advertis-ing, as the packaged ads are indistinguish-able from the packaged programs – unlike in the traditional terrestrial cable envi-ronment. This means that all current ad-skip-ping technologies are ineffective in defeat-ing ads in the TV Everywhere environment. Operators can leverage this to attract more advertisers and continue to grow their ad rev-enues with the appeal of “unskippable” ads – regardless of the viewing device.• Scalable and cost-effective nDVR – JITP is equally attractive as the foundation of an nDVR offering in a TV Everywhere envi-ronment. It not only allows MSOs to utilize their entire programming libraries with-out requiring prepackaging, but JITP also enables operators to easily support any new packaging protocols as they emerge, ensur-ing that an operator’s nDVR architecture is highly future-proof and able to adapt to changes. Additionally, JITP allows MSOs to adopt a “build as you grow” approach to their nDVR service. In this manner, they can add content and scale the service to accommodate subscriber growth, rather than investing heavily at the outset. This is a tremendous advantage, as operators must temper their service ambitions with the need to keep capital spending costs in line with subscriber take-up rates.• It’s all about monetization – Fundamen-tally, operators are focused on adding new services to their TV Everywhere offerings and fully exploiting the opportunities for monetizing these services. However, simply increasing subscription fees is self-defeating in a competitive environment. Fortunately, growing ad revenues and limiting customer churn with sticky services can both grow and sustain TV Everywhere revenues with-out impacting subscribers.

Clearly, JITP is a solution that’s just in time.

Next month, Bob Edwards, vice president of engineering for itaas, will write about the Comcast Reference Design Kit (RDK).

While not every operator has rolled out a com-plete multi-screen TV Everywhere service offering, there is certainly sufficient activity worldwide for us to say that TV Everywhere is truly here.

In fact, forward-thinking operators are already planning “what’s next” when it comes to TV Everywhere.

Thanks to work we’re doing with the industry’s leading operators, we’ve gained insight into what is coming next. Two very interesting – and, oddly, related – items on operators’ TV Everywhere “to do” lists are targeted ad insertion and network digital video recorder (nDVR) additions.

The desire to insert ads into their TV Everywhere pro-gramming is obvious, as ad insertion in their traditional terrestrial cable service (analog and MPEG-2) has earned MSOs many billions – $4 billion in 2011 alone. With TV Everywhere, operators can apply this proven moneymaker to programming delivered to PCs, tablets and the expand-ing roster of mobile devices. Delivering targeted ads to more screens equals more revenue.

The attraction of nDVR is equally strong, as it enables MSOs to offer the highly desirable service to TV Everywhere users viewing content on PCs, iPads, iPhones and other devices without requiring a DVR-capable set-top box (STB). Operators’ enthusiasm for nDVR is driven by the fact that it’s a “sticky” service that can reduce subscriber churn, while also generating revenue from subscribers who might not oth-erwise pay for multi-screen services.

So what do these seemingly very different applications have in common? The most cost-effective and scalable way to deploy them both is with just-in-time-packaging (JITP).

One of the keys to delivering TV Everywhere is the “packaging” of each program into Apple HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), Microsoft Smooth Streaming, Adobe HTTP Dynamic Streaming (HDS) and the newly ratified MPEG-DASH. Operators must support each of these adaptive streaming protocols to deliver TV Everywhere services to the exploding number of PCs, tablets, smartphones, laptops and other mobile devices – even Internet-enabled STBs.

However, before packaging, operators must first create a number of “profiles” of each program, based on the devices to which they’re delivering. Each profile is optimized for viewing on a particular type of device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, laptop, PC, etc.) and for a given bit rate. This is to ensure the best possible picture quality on all viewing devices and to accommodate fluctuations in available bandwidth. This requirement for multiple profiles of each program, combined with the need to save copies of every profile in various streaming protocols, requires a substantial amount of storage and forces MSOs to dramatically increase their storage capacity as they add new programs to their TV Everywhere libraries.

JITP overcomes this. Rather than prepackage all of the profiles of every program in each adaptive streaming protocol, MSOs simply package programs in real time into the appropriate protocol only when that content is requested by viewers on a specific device. This way JITP substantially reduces the need to add storage and enables operators to manage their storage

openmic To read past columns,visit www.CEDmagazine.com

The future of TV Everywhere is here

JITP is

just in time

By Ramin Farassat

Vice president of product marketing and business

development at RGB Networks

[email protected]

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