Network Communications News (NCN) June 2017 | Page 20

TELECOM FOCUS
Getting to the gigabit
Jeff White, head of cable strategy at Nokia, looks at how cable
operators can meet user demand for ultra-broadband services
W
ith the
broadband
market
continuing to
evolve, reams
of analysis on current and future
trends are emerging, providing
insights into consumer behaviour
and the next big thing. But dial
down the details of each report
and the findings can be simplified
to one overriding requirement: The
need for more.
Whether it is faster speeds for
real-time applications like video
games, more bandwidth to meet
the demand of unprecedented
video traffic or higher upload
speeds to support changing
consumption patterns, consumer
demand is on the rise and showing
no sign of abating with new
devices and services constantly
being announced to every aspect
of daily lives.
The benefits of this new digital
age we are in are well documented
but there is a downside – the strain
all of this is putting on networks.
This is something which the average
consumer is unaware of. However
synonymous with the quality of
service that is now expected, it
can quickly become an issue if the
consumer isn’t able to access the
capacity they require today and in
the future. As a result, better and
faster networks are needed. This is
especially true for cable operators
which, are having to upgrade
their existing hybrid fibre/coax
networks to stay competitive,
better meet evolving end-user
needs and meet the growing
demand for gigabit services.
DOCSIS 3.1 cable broadband
standard which aims to make multi-
Gbps speeds possible through
both higher efficiency modulation,
delivering more bits per Hertz and
wider channels of up to 192Mhz.
To do this, it utilises
technologies such as Orthogonal
Frequency Division Multiplexing
(OFDM), which can encode data by
using multiple carrier frequencies,
and quadruples the amount of
upstream RF spectrum up to
200MHz allowing for the delivery
of gigabit symmetrical services.
In addition to bringing the higher
speeds operators need to offer,
the standard is also seen as a way
to delay the need to invest in the
rollout of a pure fibre network.
There are, however, downsides
to this approach. The total costs
of the upgrade path are difficult to
predict and substantial conditioning
of cable operators’ plants will be
required which will inevitably be
costly. There is also the argument
that with consumer demand
continuing to rise, a move to fibre
might be necessary in the future
anyway, making other options to
upgrade networks, such as a move
to deep fibre, more attractive from a
future proofing point of view.
Of course, deploying fibre
deeper into their networks also
presents cable operators with
unique challenges in the shape of
additional nodes to manage and
an increased footprint, along with
the high OpEx and CapEx that
comes with it.
Cable Evolution Scenarios
Hub
Keeping up with demand
To meet this demand, many
operators are turning to emerging
technologies and standards which
bring with them the promise of
ultrafast speeds of up to 10Gbps.
Among them is the next-generation
20 | June 2017
“Status Quo”
• Business as usual; HFC capacity expansion with node splits, DOCSIS 3.1 and spectrum reallocation
• Space, power and distance limitations plus operational cost and complexity are blockers
Analog Fiber
Coax
FTTH
• Fiber to the home or business: EPON, GPON or P2P
• The ideal solution — unlimited capacity and future-proof — but slowed by required investment
FTThome / FTTbusiness
Distributed Access Architecture
• Simplify the network by pushing cable-specific “functions” to the node and virtualizing the headend
• Network expansion (fiber deep, node splits, DOCSIS 3.1) without cost, space, power & distance bottlenecks
• Stepping stone to FTTH
All-IP Fiber
Coax
Viva Virtualisation!
Another option which has recently
become available to cable
operators is deploying virtualisation
technologies such as Software
Defined Networking (SDN).
Many operators have already
moved to a Converged Cable
Access Platform (CCAP) which
combines video and data into one
platform, eliminating the complexity
of having two separate boxes
for each different type of data.
This also brings space and power
savings for operators, reducing
their CapEx significantly. At the
time of inception, this solution was
ideal – but now, as the industry
moves to all-IP, it is beginning to
show signs of limitations.
Now i f y o u ’ re a n o p erator
t h at h a s i nve ste d i n CCAP, don ’t
t h row y o u r h a n d s u p i n des p ai r
j u st y et . T h i s d o e s n ot mean
t h e re i s n o f u t u re fo r CCAP. I n
fa ct , t h e o p p o si te i s t rue wi th
v i r t u a l i sat i o n te c h n o l ogi es
b r i n g i n g t h e p ote nt i a l to b reathe
n ew l i fe i nto i nf ra st r u ctures an d
f u r t h e r re d u c e o p e rators s p ace
a n d p owe r u sa ge .
Picking the right path
When deciding which upgrade
route to take, operators must take
into consideration a multitude of
factors, including the competitive
landscape, the modernity of their
hybrid fibre/coax networks, the
mix of potential customers they
are looking to serve and whether
they intend to operate primarily
in their existing market or expand
their footprint.
In some cases, a combination
of strategies might be appropriate
but with the need for speed ever
increasing, a decision on how to
best meet this demand and remain
competitive is needed – and quickly.
For further information visit:
www.nokia.com