Cable operators around the world will invest $80 million in expanding network bandwidth through 2012 to deal with a “bandwidth crunch” stemming from HDTV and other high-capacity services, predicts ABI Research.
The new report examines several options available to cable operators today, including rate shaping, spectrum expansion, node splitting, switched broadcast, PON overlays, and advanced codecs, among others.
“The looming bandwidth crunch, which is more pronounced in the United States than elsewhere due to its deeper penetration of digital cable, will present different problems to different operators, and each will need to find its own bandwidth upgrade formula,” said ABI Principal Analyst Michael Arden.
He called fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) PON overlay technology “outrageously expensive,” but said it will provide all of the bandwidth most operators will ever need.
While PON remains a relatively expensive option, some operators are exploring FTTP in greenfield areas using specialized systems that allow the operator to install fiber all the way to the home, but also enable them to leverage existing headend gear and customer premise equipment (set-tops, multimedia terminal adapters, etc.).
Rather than a pricey ONU, these systems use a less expensive optical-to-electrical converter on the side of the home.
BendBroadband of Oregon is employing such a system from Alloptic (the vendor calls it a “Mininode”) in some limited greenfield opportunities. The approach is said to cost about 12 percent to 15 percent more than traditional HFC.
Although they are still relatively mum on the subject, CommScope and Aurora Networks are said to be working on a system that will allow cable operators to deploy FTTP inexpensively in new build situations.