Carrier-Grade Requirements for Cable Networks

For years, cable operators have built multiple networks to satisfy separate customer applications. From video broadcast to Internet access, to Video On Demand (VOD), these separate network infrastructures were built at the lowest up front capital cost and with the minimum reliability to meet individual application requirements. But this approach is no longer acceptable. The migration to digital infrastructure that will support multiple services is almost complete, and competitive pressures from Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) providers and telcos, as well as customer demand for higher reliability and better performance, are forcing operators to rethink their metro area networks. The result: operators are at a crossroads.