cable’s future outlook

Special supplement

Cable’s future outlook

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Inside: Sustainability, 10G platform, DAA, FMC, SCTE Q&A and more

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Climate change is the most important issue affecting humanity today. The next piece of alarming news detailing its effects is far away: extreme

weather events, scientific studies of long-term temperature trends, or details of damage to ecosystems. Policymakers and responsible business leaders recognise the need to take action; employees, investors and the general public are demanding it. So how are companies working in and for the broadcast and video industries responding?

“Sustainability has moved up the agenda,” says Koen de Wulf, product manager for Technicolor Connected Home. “ESG [environmental, social and governance] requirements are increasing. There are expectations that carbon footprints will be penalised in future, through policies and regulation; and consumers are aware of this and concerned about it.”

Kristian Hildingsson, product manager in the STB business unit at SmarDTV, believes a strong record on sustainability “is already giving you a competitive edge: to have products that are sustainable and being able to show that you have understood and minimised the impact of those products on the environment. I think it will become more important as the attention paid by consumers to this issue increases.”

This industry has a much smaller carbon footprint than do some others: analysis by the ITU suggests that the

whole ICT sector, of which some of the work of this industry forms a part, is responsible for about 1.3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, far less than industries such as iron and steel, or chemicals/plastics. And by far the biggest contributor to the ICT or broadcast industries’ emissions was made by end user devices, responsible for more emissions than networks and datacentres combined, but generally beyond the MSO or broadcaster’s control.

But MSOs and broadcasters are producing a great deal of the content viewed on those devices, so bear some responsibility for those emissions. Most MSOs also now provide video streaming services of some kind and Cisco analysis suggests long form video (longer than five minutes) was responsible for about 45 per cent of total internet traffic in 2020.

Emissions caused by video streaming are small – research by the Carbon Trust suggests that an hour of streaming produces approximately 55g of carbon emissions, equivalent to driving a petrol-fuelled car about 250 metres – but even these tiny numbers do stack up when millions of people are streaming hours of content every day. The industry also contributes to emissions produced by a range of other industries, including plastics, construction and transport.

What can operators do to reduce those emissions for which they are directly or indirectly responsible? The first step is to reduce energy consumption in datacentres and other technology and equipment facilities, by

improving the efficiency of cooling processes; and by improving the operational efficiency of the technologies being cooled.

Adiabatic cooling systems that optimise airflow, and use of data centres located in naturally cool locations

are both helpful. The source of the energy being consumed by these systems is also important: increasing numbers of cloud computing providers are now using electricity drawn only from renewable sources, including via their own microgeneration facilities, usually solar panels.

The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) has a programme, Energy 2020, to promote best practices in energy management; and has also produced alongside industry standards covering activities including technical facility cooling.

Technological progress also helps. “There is a long history of technology becoming more efficient, with data compression, better algorithms, even just moving from copper to fibre – all those changes lead to improved energy efficiency,” says Andie Stephens, associate director at the Carbon Trust.

Vendors are responding to the need to improve environmental performance.

Cable’s green agendaCable’s green agendaSustainability in the cable TV industry is becoming more prominent and there are various programmes taking place to promote energy management. David Adams reports

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Recent product launches include ATEME’s Green Delivery Solution for DTH and OTT operators, which bases its green credentials on use of optimised software for higher density compression, more efficient multiplexing and sharing of hardware resources and workflows. A flexible CDN removes the need to build in more capacity than is actually needed.

“We enable our customers to use less CPU for transcoding and streaming, which means customers need 60% less hardware resources,” says Remi Beaudouin, chief strategy officer at ATEME. “We can enable the same OTT or HD TV service with fewer servers, so you consume less hardware resources and spend less on the infrastructure.”

Beaudouin says ATEME’s approach has been influenced by operators seeking to improve their environmental performance. “Ten years ago operators would ask, ‘Can you provide me with a solution with better density and streaming capacity, so that I can lower my costs?’ Now [they ask] … for a solution that will result in a lower carbon footprint.”

Other vendors seeking to deliver environmental benefits include Harmonic. Its virtualised cable modem termination systems (vCMTS), deployed in distributed access architectures (DAA) alongside optimised “edge cloud” technologies, can dramatically reduce hardware requirements, so cut energy costs and consumption, while increasing capacity and efficiency.

Gil Katz, senior vice-president, Cable Access Business Operations, at Harmonic, claims it can help cable TV operators enjoy energy cost gains of up to $8 per subscriber, per year. He also offers the example of an operator that has used the technology to enable it to split nodes multiple times to increase capacity to serve 600,000 homes, a change that would have required 600 racks of equipment in three new facilities if the operator had used legacy equipment.

“By moving to DAA, not only have they avoided the need to build new facilities, but they have freed up space within their existing facilities and will save $3.5 million per year on power consumption,” says Katz.

Technology selection and design becoming part of broader sustainability strategiesSome operators are using good environmental performance not only to guide the choice or design of technology they buy or build, but as a selling point for consumers. In 2020 Liberty Global launched its Mini TV Box, its “smallest, greenest ever set-top box”, which weighs only 97g, is built using 35 per cent recycled plastics, consumes only 5W and can be powered by a TV using a USB cable rather than being plugged into a mains socket.

Many operators’ strategies for technology selection or design form part of broader sustainability strategies. For example, in February 2021 Virgin Media announced its intention to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2025. Its recent merger with O2, which had made the same pledge, has not altered that goal, says Tracey Herald, head of corporate responsibility and sustainability at Virgin Media O2.

“Sustainability makes business sense,” she says. “It’s a win-win: we’re cutting emissions and energy usage while driving costs down. [We will] … drive

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down energy consumption … by ongoing investment in our infrastructure and upgrading older, legacy kit.

“Secondly, we’re transitioning our Virgin Media fleet to electric vehicles by the end of 2030. Lastly, we’ll continue our commitment to using 100% renewable electricity wherever we can.” The company will also make more use of solar panels as a source of energy for its sites, complemented in the longer term by fuel cells with battery storage to provide back-up power.

In the past, there has sometimes been some pushback against environmental initiatives in the boardroom, in protest at the financial costs involved. But the SCTE’s Derek Giacomo believes this is now more unusual, in part because improved efficiency in energy consumption and operational processes can generate such significant cost benefits.

Koen de Wulf says that assessing pure financial costs alone is the wrong way to look at the value of investing in sustainable business practices. “If you look at the true costs to society of carbon emissions and with awareness of these issues increasing, it is economical and logical to do the right thing for the environment,” he says, adding that as more legislation and regulation encouraging green practices appears the green route will always be the most economically logical choice.

So how effectively is the cable TV industry as a whole responding to the need to become more environmentally sustainable? “A lot of operators are making energy an important part of their overall sustainability objectives,” says Giacomo. “They are being very public about their sustainability and greenhouse emissions goals.”

Harmonic’s Gil Katz agrees, with caveats. “I think larger operators either feel more responsible, or, given the engagement with government or regulators, want to show how much they

care,” he says. “So with the larger operators, the tier ones, it’s important. Mid-sized operators usually have less resources and the resources that they have are focused on what’s urgent today.”

For the Carbon Trust’s Andie Stephens, one hopeful sign is a growing number of technology companies of all kinds setting science-based pledges for emission reductions, based on criteria developed by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). “If you have a target approved by them it has to meet their requirements,” says Stephens. “It doesn’t allow you to use offsets: you have to make reductions and publicly report on them each year.” These targets also require companies to assess and set targets for reductions of Scope 3 emissions: those generated by their supply chains.

Stephens also hopes that the EU initiative the European Green Digital Coalition, launched in 2021, will have some positive impacts in this industry. Its founding members, which include Liberty Global and Telefonica, are committed to investing in development of “green digital solutions with significant energy and material efficiency that achieve a net positive

impact”; collaborating to create credible methodologies for assessing net impact of those solutions; and developing guidelines and recommendations for deployment of green digital solutions.

Giacomo is also hoping to see more work on circular economy practices in the industry, to extract precious metals and plastics from equipment that reaches the end of its working life, then return it to the supply chain. “We’re seeing this more and more in the electronics industry – it is something to strive for,” he says. “The fact that our industry is coming forward with pledges of greenhouse gas reductions and environmental goals shows we are striving to do our part. But there’s always more to be done.”

Of course, although the efforts of the industry as a whole will make a relatively minor contribution in terms of reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, operators, broadcasters and other content providers will be able to contribute in other ways.

“Much of the technology we need to tackle the climate emergency already exists, so it’s a question of how can we drive governments to act, businesses to upgrade their operations and consumers to change their behaviour at scale,” says Virgin Media O2’s Tracey Herald. “This is where the TV and broadcast industry … [has] a responsibility to create engaging sustainability content and to get it out to as many people as possible. It’s why the Media Climate Pact – which we are a member of – is important. It focuses on cutting media companies’ own impacts and using our platforms to encourage climate-friendly behaviours.”

There is, as Derek Giacomo says, always more to be done – and it must be done. This isn’t about politics: it’s about businesses, technologists, policymakers and society in general collaborating for the common good. It is good business, in more ways than one.



“Some operators are using good environmental performance not only to guide the choice or design of technology they buy or build, but as a selling point for consumers.”



More than at any point during its long and distinguished history, the cable sector is in the middle of a

massive transformation that is driven by a mix of competitive pressures, consumer behaviour, technological developments, and most recently Covid-19.

From a strategic standpoint, cord-cutting appears to be an irreversible trend, especially in the United States. On a global level, cable TV subscriber numbers peaked at 580 million in early 2016 and have been in decline ever since, according to researcher Omdia, reaching 536 million at end-2020 and on course to decline again this year to dip below 530 million by end-2021 (see figure 1, on the next page).

This transition is turning many cable operators to embrace the role of the super-aggregator, bundling new SVOD and other streaming services. At the same time, growth in cable broadband is making up for these losses and revenues will soon overtake those of

cable TV (CATV). In the five years to end-2020, cable broadband subscriber numbers increased by 46%, from 146 million to 213 million. The growth has continued into 2021, with Omdia forecasting a total of 221 million subscribers by year-end. Cable broadband revenues, meanwhile, are catching up with those of cable TV — rising by 1.6% from $104 billion in 2019 to $106 billion in 2020.

The tipping point is imminent and ‘Broadband First’ is already the new reality.

“TV may be important to some embedded customers, but operators know that the future is broadband. Everything they do, from expanding their networks to marketing their services, is to support that reality,” observes Mark Trudeau, CEO and founder of OpenVault.

“When the cord is cut, operators can replace a low margin video customer with a high margin broadband customer as long as they guide the customer through the transition. Subscribers need to understand that there is a specific step function in terms of usage and speed when you cut the cord, especially if you have multiple devices streaming video simultaneously,” Trudeau says.

OpenVault data shows that subscribers are migrating to faster speed tiers — more than half are now provisioned at 200 Mbps or more — and when they have faster speeds, they consume more data.

According to Omdia’s data, in 2018, just 4% of global broadband subscriptions provided a speed in excess of 500Mbps. By the end of 2020, that percentage had reached 17.5% and Omdia’s forecasts anticipate it will

continue to swiftly increase, with more than half of broadband subscriptions providing more than 500Mbps by 2026 (see figure 2, on the next page).

“For the wider broadband market, the need for speed is apparent,” says Adam Thomas, Senior Principal Analyst, TV and Online Video, at the London-based research firm.

In an increasingly competitive landscape for ultra-high speed internet provision, cable MSOs are battling it out not just with increasingly aggressive telcos, many of whom are new pure-play fibre start-ups, but also from mobile operators in suburban areas (via 5G and fixed wireless access) and emerging satellite providers, such as Starlink, O3b and OneWeb among many others, in rural markets.

The Covid effectThe need for speed will continue, and the global pandemic has only accelerated digital transformation and modernisation for cable operators.

At last year’s virtual SCTE•ISBE Cable-Tec Expo, Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries mentioned how Covid has opened an opportunity that the cable sector should not let pass by.

“What we are trying to do and the whole industry I think is trying to do is bottle some of the magic right now,” Fries said. “We have record low churn, record high NPS and record employee engagement, and the best relationships with regulators and politicians we’ve ever had. This may never come back our way again so we have to bottle the things we did right, the choices we made to lean into our communities and customers, to get us to this point.

“It’s essential we don’t come out of

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Where does cable currently stand from a strategic and technological perspective and where is it heading, asks Goran Nastic





this and start sliding back again. Make sure we build on all the good things we did during this time and not see them as extraordinary or one-offs. We had to accelerate digital transformation in back office and call centres. Everything had to accelerate for the better and we had to be motivated by the moment and rethink how we become more agile,” Fries said.

During the pandemic, cable has not just powered (streamed and broadcast) video entertainment, but of course also

enabled critical communications services as the world adopted to new ways of living and working.

“In the European market, we have seen an acceleration of the demand for new broadband technologies mainly due to changes in consumer behaviour and the need to work from home. The use of internet for video calls, the heavy reliance on internet applications for shopping or for streaming video entertainment are examples that have acted as accelerators,” says Mercedes

Pastor, Senior Vice President Technicolor Connected Home Eurasia.

“The broad shift to support the shelter-in-place workforce over the past 18 months has created a convergence of consumer and business interest in broadband. This means that employers are as interested in the quality of broadband services delivered to the home as consumers. Perhaps even more,” adds Eric Rutter, President Technicolor Connected Home, Americas.

It is also worth pointing out that the pandemic has had a noticeable affect on upstream bandwidth, which has influenced network upgrades. Upstream service levels are essential for applications such as gaming and videoconferencing, services that are very sensitive to latency and jitter. This is where Low Latency DOCSIS (LLD) comes in. It can help reduce latency from up to 250 ms down to 15ms, creating new revenue

opportunities for service providers and better experiences for subscribers.

On the upstream side, OpenVault data shows that upstream growth rates are close to 4X what they were before the pandemic. “The pandemic really put a spotlight on the need to understand how subscribers are using broadband and what needs to be done to ensure the best experience,” says Trudeau.

The sudden growth in upstream, which Covid accelerated, also had an interesting effect on one of the


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most significant cable network upgrade stories: distributed access architectures (DAA).

DAA is (finally) hereThere was a lot of excitement around DAA a few years ago, which distribute CCAP functionality to node locations in the outside plant. They were expected to be a major portion of cable operator CapEx for their broadband access networks, replacing the spend on traditional CCAP platforms. This is because legacy CMTS platforms were launched more than 15 years ago, and they were not designed to meet today’s service and bandwidth requirements.

However, a mix of technical and operational challenges initially stalled progress, coupled more recently by Covid-related factors. The pandemic forced many operators to shift priorities onto the upstream bandwidth on their existing platforms using node splits. However, as analyst Jeff Heynen of Dell’Oro Group outlines on pages 10-11 of this supplement, spending on remote PHY and remote MACPHY devices is on the rise in the first half of this year, and forecasts total spending on DAA platforms to exceed $400M in 2023, as an increasing number of operators roll out all three variants (R-PHY, R-MACPHY, and R-OLTs) of DAA options. This will also help in their longer term network preparation for either DOCSIS 4.0 or full-FTTP (more on that later).

DAA using R-PHY was first to market and has seen a significant uptake worldwide. Harmonic alone claims to have enabled more than 59 operators to deploy over 30,000 DAA edge devices.

Harmonic’s Katz points out that flexible MAC architecture (FMA) was put in place to remove the industry split between R-PHY and R-MAC-PHY and consolidate the two solutions into one spec that addressed all the different requirements.

Harmonic has developed a new ‘MAC anywhere’ concept that uses existing, cloud-native-based software architectures to containerise the MAC, allowing the company to put the MAC anywhere, orchestrated by the CableOS Platform. “Using this revolutionary approach, we are offering a more mature and agile way of deploying FMA,” argues Katz. “We estimate that the next generation of RxD hardware will be available in a few years and that Harmonic will be the first to bring this exciting technology to market.”

With most, if not all, service providers now planning to deploy a DAA solution, it is expected that the majority will tie that to virtualisation.

With CIN enabling converged fixed-mobile networks, operators can also lower CapEx and OpEx per subscriber of their infrastructure. According to Hanno Narjus, Head of Network Products for Teleste, operators can and should begin the work now with mature DOCSIS 3.1 technology, CIN networks and Remote PHY-based distributed access, and then start preparing for MACPHY and virtualisation as the next step on the network evolution path towards 10G.

Indeed, cable has made good progress recently with its 10G platform programme, an umbrella initiative that takes in not just the path to 10Gbps speeds (and beyond), but also takes in next-gen requirements including latency security, and reliability. CableLabs and

the SCTE are claiming good progress with the 10G initiative, which enjoys broad industry support.

10G can be seen as the latest cable technology toolkit, and as ever, cable companies find themselves with a wide variety of technologies and paths to getting there. The publication of the DOCSIS 4.0 specification last year with its inclusion of Extended Spectrum DOCSIS (ESD) and Full-Duplex DOCSIS (FDX) provides operators with a roadmap for their post-3.1 efforts. Cable MSOs are nothing if not pragmatic and the industry will have the same view about ESD and FDX. Both bring distinct advantages that will drive adaptation based on business requirements. FDX traction is still patchy, but its main proponent Comcast recently touted important progress with a full duplex chipset from Broadcom that will support future multigigabit upload and download speeds, with further testing slated for this year.

DOCSIS/PON/FTTH and the future of coax A hot topic in technology circles is around the move to PON-based network architectures, partly riven by a recent narrative of telco-cable convergence. Most service providers deploying cable offerings are also considering deploying PON services, looking at virtualised solutions that are multi-access capable, supporting both cable and fibre services.

Virgin Media, newly merged with O2, is among the MSOs that has recently decided to transition to a PON, bypassing DOCSIS 4.0 in favour of all-fibre (this migration is somewhat easier for Virgin Media due to the cable ducts it has in place). VodafoneZiggo is also talking up fibre in new build areas as a more future-proof option, as are some US operators.

How much of a setback will these moves pose for the DOCSIS 4 standard and DOCSIS in general given that



“We had to accelerate digital transformation and rethink how we become more agile.” Mike Fries, CEO, Liberty Global



the cable industry has traditionally liked to talk about unity and economies of scale?

“DOCSIS 4.0 is still very much needed on a global scale and the industry is getting ready for upcoming rollouts of the technology,” says Teleste’s Narjus. “Obviously, there will always be country, operator, and even network specific strategies, and no one-roadmap-fits-all option exists. DOCSIS 4.0 will ensure cable’s competitiveness compared to FTTH networks for the next 10+ years, creating a viable ground for coax to coexist with fibre for a quite some time.”

In the meantime, Teleste continues to work with customers on their DOCSIS 3.1 distributed access rollouts and expects the deployments of the 1.8 GHz technology to start gradually from this year onwards (see also article on page 12 for more on this topic).

In North America, operators are already taking steps towards 1.8 GHz HFC infrastructure, and the deployments are expected to start first there due to existing network constraints. The demand of 1.8 GHz-capable network passives will ramp up in subsequent years, and the amplifier market will follow in volumes in 2023 when both new products and operators are ready for mass deployments, according to Narjus.

“We already have the capacity to deliver products that represent the new technologies and new R&D projects will start this year. Also our innovations and experience on intelligent network devices are unique in the market and hence we are seeing significant potential for them once the 1.8 GHz market takes off,” Narjus says.

For most operators, a hybrid approach that includes multi-access edge solutions will be key. While DOCSIS has a long life ahead, and DOCSIS 4 brings new life to an existing fibre-coax plant, service providers want the best of both worlds, which is driving

deployments of the multi-access provider edge.

Fibre has always been an elemental part of HFC networks, and, it has been gradually moving closer to homes, but the closer to subscriber premises operators get, the more difficult and costly replacing coax becomes. There isn’t industry-wide consensus on the exact end-point, but most cable technologists believe that coax will be around well into the next decade at least, proving also cable’s prolonged longevity.

Cable TV dates back to the late 1930s in the UK and 1948 in the

United States (John Walson Sr is credited as the founder there), where CATV originated to enhance poor reception of over-the-air terrestrial analogue television signals in mountainous or geographically remote areas. It wasn’t until the 1960s, however, that a more modern version of the system came along.

Fast forward nearly a hundred years from its first origins and most technologists expect cable to be alive and kicking in the 2030s, even if cable TV — or indeed television — itself may look little like what it even did back in the 1990s.


Wireless, FMC and the role of hyperscalersFixed mobile convergence is blurring the lines of distinction between different categories of NSPs such as telco or cable operators. The ability to integrate wireline and wireless infrastructures, especially with the emergence of 5G, offers an opportunity to reach more customers with new services. For MSO, this has triggered interest in hybrid CPE offerings that integrate fibre and 5G networks.

“At Technicolor Connected Home, our focus has been on adapting our portfolio to support speeds up to 10 G and Wi-Fi 6. Specifically for DOCSIS, we are seeing an increasing demand for in-home WiFi speeds and low-latency with DOCSIS 3.1 WAN access CPEs,” says Pastor at Technicolor Connected Home, which has been supplying European operators with DOCSIS 3.1 gateways for over three years, and is already seeing WiFi 6 E becoming more of a priority.

To better support gigabit WiFi speeds in the home, Technicolor Connected Home is proposing WiFi 6 tri-band products, in conjunction with its tri-band WiFi 6 Extenders for a whole-home gigabit WiFi services. In

anticipation of the longer horizon needs in 2023-2024, Technicolor Connected Home has started to work with some US operators and a leading chipset vendor on DOCSIS 4.0 as part of its roadmap.

“It will be interesting to watch the convergence of mobile and fixed line architectures and organisations, as well as the influence of hyperscalers on this evolution,” adds Harmonic’s Katz, noting that Harmonic had one such demo lined up at this year’s Cable-Tec Expo. “We believe that the edge cloud concept goes well beyond the currently considered use cases and applies to the entire access infrastructure, providing advantages and supporting new applications that have yet to even be considered.”

Overall, it is expected that the reallocation of hub sites and the outside plant as possible edge cloud locations will drive new services that require agility, security, scalability, and sustainability typically associated with edge cloud, as well as the 10G CableLabs initiative (see page 14 in this supplement for the CableLabs take on their work around FMC).




Just a few years ago, distributed access architectures (DAA) were expected to be a major portion of cable operator capex for their broadband access

networks by this point in time, replacing the spend on traditional CCAP platforms and distributing that functionality to node locations in the outside plant. The global pandemic, which shifted operators’ priorities to shoring up their upstream bandwidth on their existing platforms using node splits, put large-scale DAA deployments on hold or, among those operators who remained committed to DAA during the pandemic, slowed the rollouts.

But through the first half of 2021, spending on remote PHY and remote MACPHY devices has jumped 62%, increasing from $42.6M in the first half of 2020 to just over $69M in the first half of this year. Dell’Oro Group’s current projections have RPD and RMD revenue reaching $180M for the full year 2021, which is a 78% increase from 2020. Furthermore, if we factor in remote OLT revenue (10 Gbps EPON and XGS-PON) specifically for cable operators, combined revenue for DAA platforms in 2021 will exceed $200M.

Dell’Oro Group believes total spending on DAA platforms will exceed $400M in 2023, as an increasing number of operators roll out all three flavors (R-PHY, R-MACPHY, and R-OLTs) of DAA options to improve signal quality and throughput, make

their outside plant more efficient through the switch to digital optics, and either prep their networks for DOCSIS 4.0 or make the shift to full FTTP.

There have been several factors behind the increase in DAA deployments throughout 2021, with each factor resonating differently with each operator:

• Maturityofthesolutions,including interoperability: For many operators who remained on the sidelines, one of their biggest concerns was the maturity of the proposed solutions, as well as concerns about interoperability between virtual CCAP and CCAP core vendors and RPD suppliers. At this point, there have been enough large-scale deployments running live traffic using multiple vendors’ equipment to allay those initial concerns. There is always work to be done to ensure the correct functioning of

equipment. But there are now proven blueprints for anticipating the standard issues that normally arise.

• UpstreamReliefasaDriver: In the immediate aftermath of COVID lockdowns, cable operators saw an incredible jump in the demand for upstream bandwidth, which forced them to respond with software tweaks to their DOCSIS 3.1 services, as well as a significant jump in node splits to reduce service group sizes and increase upstream bandwidth. Those trends continue today, particularly the node splitting activity. However, that activity is also resulting in the pulling forward of mid- and high-split architectures, which provide significant increases in upstream bandwidth. A growing number of operators that are pursuing these efforts are doing so along with upgrading to remote PHY or remote MACPHY, because of the additional signal improvements they see. The same is also true for those operators beginning to move to 1.2GHz in the outside plant.

• SecondGenerationChips: One of the bigger concerns with first- generation equipment was with heat

Distributed access Distributed access architectures finally architectures finally finding their nichefinding their nicheThe pandemic shifted operators’ priorities to upstream bandwidth, but now spending on remote PHY and remote MACPHY devices is on the rise, finds Jeff Heynen of the Dell’Oro Group





dissipation, particularly with remote MACPHY equipment. The second- generation chips that have been integrated into both RPDs and RMDs reduce heat dissipation to acceptable levels for operators globally, not just in North America, which now opens the door for large- scale remote MACPHY deployments, in addition to improving the efficiency of remote PHY equipment.

• DOCSIS4.0Consensus: The publication of the DOCSIS 4.0 specification last year with its inclusion of Extended Spectrum DOCSIS (ESD) and Full-Duplex DOCSIS (FDX) provides operators with a roadmap for their post-3.1 efforts. Although each operator has to choose which architectural path to choose, there is at least consensus that both paths will rely heavily on DAA technologies. But we remain many years away from DOCSIS 4.0 having a significant impact on DAA deployments. We expect operators to begin replacing their taps later this year, amplifiers beginning next year, and then nodes

beginning in 2023.

• ImpactofFMA(FlexibleMAC Architecture): Back in September 2020, CableLabs released the specifications for FMA. FMA defines the disaggregation of the CCAP into separate management, control, and data planes. Essentially, it is the next step in the evolution that was started years ago with M-CMTS architectures, followed by the move to DAA and Remote PHY, specifically. FMA expands the disaggregation of a traditional integrated CCAP platform into a combination of DAA, SDN, and NFV.

More importantly, FMA gives cable operators the flexibility they desperately need as they navigate how to prioritize current capacity upgrades through traditional node splits, mid- and high-splits, upcoming outside plant upgrades to 1.2Ghz and 1.8GHz, as well as determining whether their future access network relies on DOCSIS 4.0, fiber-to-the-home, or a combination of the two. FMA gives cable operators the flexibility to deliver Low Latency

DOCSIS (LLD) as well as Mobile xHaul over DOCSIS, as well as far more flexibility in how they architect their CIN (Converged Interconnect Networks) with external switching elements that give them the ability to scale their interconnect networks more easily than ever before. For DAA, specifically, FMA gives operators a blueprint for pursuing access networks that incorporate multiple physical layer technologies, from remote PHY to remote MACPHY, FTTP, and even fixed wireless.

Finally, FMA opens the door to true virtualization of cable access networks, supporting any number of use cases and any number of physical layer connections through the same disaggregated network functions, which can be placed in any physical location—node, hub site, headend, super headend, or data center. When cable operators faced a significant ramp in upstream bandwidth consumption in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, some had a difficult time being able to support that growth without the traditional tools of node splitting and increasing DOCSIS channels through the addition of CCAP line cards or new CCAP chassis in instances where current CCAP platforms are already maxed out. With FMA, operators can scale far more quickly, adding CPU cycles quickly to match the increase in service groups and bandwidth.

There has never been a question regarding the benefits of DAA. The bigger questions have been about timing, the vendor ecosystem, and how to slot in deployments when service and bandwidth priorities have shifted so dramatically. Those questions now appear to have been answered, which means DAA’s best days are just around the corner.

Jeff Heynen is Vice President and analyst for the Broadband Access & Home Networking market, Dell’Oro Group


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10G has become the cable industry’s promise to consumers and more than an artificial marketing tool against full fibre and fixed wireless alternatives. However, reaching 10G

speeds won’t be easy and the industry is studying how future networks can reach this goal. When looking for alternative HFC access network architectures, pragmatism, traditionally one of the industry’s biggest strengths, will once again play a major role. A delicate balance between promises and pragmatism is required when moving towards 1.8 GHz networks that enable 10G speeds.

1.8 GHz upgrade conceptsWhen considering 1.8 GHz technology, three network architecture archetypes can be identified, as shown in Figure 1, on the next page.

1. Highgainarchitecture (HGA) is based on increasing amplifier gain. In this architecture, the gain

of every amplifier is stretched to the maximum. New amplifier locations are not needed, and old locations will host new 1.8 GHz amplifiers.

2. Lowgainarchitecture (LGA) is based on low gain amplifiers and shorter cabling between amplifiers. New amplifier locations are needed, but the lower gain makes RF performance improvements easier to reach.

3. Mixedgainarchitecture(MGA) is based on a mix of high gain and low gain amplifiers. Low gain amplifiers are added to work as “boosters” between high gain amplifiers to ensure that excellent RF performance is achieved. A typical architecture in many 1.2 GHz networks in Europe.

The chosen architecture impacts how network upgrades can be carried out in practice.

For example, many network upgrades are traditionally done based on the unity gain principle, meaning that amplifiers have some gain reserve for alignments and automatic level regulation. Following the principle makes it effortless to plan network upgrades and achieve the desired signal levels and quality, not only on the design board but also in the field. Simple booster amplifiers may lack features that are needed for automatic alignments and level regulations, while high gain amplifiers are often equipped with these. However, in high gain amplifiers, total loading may become a limiting factor for 1.8 GHz implementations. The limit can be

relieved by stepping down a level at the highest frequencies, as illustrated in Figure 2, on the next page.

Figure 2 shows how steps reduce the theoretical maximum data, but only marginally.

Achieving a balance in 1.8 GHz upgradesAs the cable industry moves towards real 1.8 GHz implementations, a careful balance between networkoperation,upgradeexecutionandplanningrules is required. In addition to, for example, knowing the desired capacity and required features, such as Automatic Level and Slope Control (ALSC), operators need to figure out what to do with maintenance and troubleshooting.

From the execution side, some of the key questions concern the legacy infrastructure. Will the existing amplifier and power feed locations be utilized? How flexibly can amplifiers be located and where should the new elements be placed? What should be done with RF passives upgrades?

Planning rules and technical decisions will obviously influence what kinds of amplifiers are preferred for the network. The most important among these decisions are the RF signal level in subscribers’ premises and the accepted system performance (accumulated system MER). The levels and performance will define the possible system data capacity that can be delivered to subscribers.

All these details are linked to each other and every decision leads to the desired balance. Playing in the “trouble field” requires accepting the fact that

1.8 GHz - Hunting the last bits 1.8 GHz - Hunting the last bitsA delicate balance between promises and pragmatism is required when moving towards 1.8 GHz networks that enable 10G speeds. By Rami Kimari, Teleste

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cherry picking becomes difficult. The end result is always a compromise between the theoretical maximum performance of the network as well as the costs and effort required to plan and execute the upgrade and operate the network afterwards.

Assuming low gain amplifiers are simplified and high gain amplifiers are equipped with advanced features and require higher investment, comparison between the three 1.8 GHz upgrade concepts is illustrated in Figure 4, opposite.

The best performance can be achieved with low gain amplifiers, but planning the upgrade, making the integration and operating the network is not easy due to the number of devices needed. As LGA also means significant changes to the existing network infrastructure, it becomes an expensive option. The MGA and HGA architectures would offer more on the practical side and be more cost effective. HGA would not require new amplifier locations, so a slightly easier implementation could make it more practical. While the practicality of MGA would suffer a little due to booster amplifiers, MGA would have higher performance than HGA.

The 1.8 GHz upgrade wave is on the horizon and 10G maximum speeds are feasible through many concepts. The technology will be ready for the first implementations to begin in 2022, even though no ‘one size fits all’ solution exists to ease operators’ strategy work. To succeed in hunting the last bits out from cable networks and fulfilling the 10G promise to subscribers, operators need to know which devices to use, how and where. It is important that detailed planning and decisions on what aspects of the network — performance, costs or practicality — are emphasized in each upgrade.

For more information go to telesteintercept.com



Figure 1. Different 1.8 GHz upgrade concepts

Figure 2. Maximum versus step down capacity

Figure 3: The “trouble field” of balanced 1.8 GHz upgrades

Figure 4: Comparing the HGA, MGA and LGA concepts



https://www.telesteintercept.com/


The cable industry has a goal to create a more connected future. We aim to repeatedly push the forefront of innovation, transforming concepts

and impossibilities into practical and adoptable everyday uses. We do this by working collaboratively to deliver impactful network technologies for the entire industry.

This involves thinking about what the future might look like, then figuring out how we can get there, and what we need to make it work. One of the methods CableLabs uses to visualize what that possible future is through our Near Future videos, which you can check out at www.cablelabs.com/thenearfuture.

In the most recent video — “Diverse Thinkers Wanted” — the main character embarks on something of a scavenger hunt with the help of her remote colleagues and slew of futuristic technology. Throughout her adventure, however, there are certain things you might notice the character never does: She never stops to check her network connection or find a network to connect to, and she never has to enter a login, or think about her connection. Instead, she’s simply always connected — to her colleagues, her personal assistant, to cars, to information. Moreover, she simply assumes that connection will provide her with whatever she needs, and it always does.

Although there are aspects of this future vision that may still be a way off, the ability to be always connected— to always have the connection you need, without thinking about it —may not be as far away as you might think. A key set of technologies that will enable this type of future is something we refer to as convergence.

What is convergence? Convergence is a very broad term, and there are many different types of convergence, all of which come into play in our vision of the future. For example, network convergence (or fixed/mobile convergence) involves combining an operator’s wireline and wireless services into a single connectivity platform to improve service quality and efficiency. Operator convergence allows multiple operators to provide a consistent and seamless user experience across their service boundaries. And application convergence enables a consistent application experience, regardless of the network or platform an application uses, by exposing network capabilities via open, standardized application programming interfaces (APIs).

While we expect there to be a broad common toolkit of techniques and approaches which operators can draw upon, the specific tools needed will vary depending on the application and/or convergence use cases. Further, there are multiple paths to developing those tools — as a result, there is no “one-size-fits-all” convergence roadmap to implement the above. However, the more we can align those tools — to develop a common framework — the better for the industry.

Enabling convergence will have benefits for both operators and end-users. For operators, convergence means improved quality of service, reduced network complexity and enhanced operational agility. Convergence also allows operators to scale and create opportunities beyond

their respective footprints and/or core competencies, as well as to monetize their network features and capabilities in new ways. For end-users, convergence means better, simpler service. End users will always be connected, wherever they are, without having to think or worry about it. They will have network resources always at their fingertips — with sufficient capacity and performance — whenever they need it, to support whatever they might need to do. And to know that it is all secure.

Although convergence’s appeal is universal, cable operators are uniquely positioned to provide converged services as they have wireline networks already in place that reach a vast number of homes and businesses (in the US, for example, more than 80% of homes with gigabit services, according to NCTA), networks of Wi-Fi hotspots, and in many cases are already either Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) or Mobile Network Virtual Operators (MVNOs), with more joining their ranks.

Focusing on convergence The idea of convergence is not new, and work has been going on in the industry for some time to enable it.

For years, CableLabs has been working on the building blocks needed to support convergence, although it wasn’t always called that. For example, our work in Distributed Access Architectures (DAA) allows cable operators to convert their extensive fiber networks from analog optics to digital ethernet networks that can support a variety of different services

The journey to a converged worldThe journey to a converged worldBy John Kim, Director of Connectivity, Wireless R&D, CableLabs, and Matt Schmitt, Principal Architect, Wired R&D, CableLabs




https://www.cablelabs.com/thenearfuture


beyond just DOCSIS-based broadband. Our work in Point-to-Point (P2P) Coherent Optics enables those existing fiber networks to operate at dramatically higher capacities, opening the bandwidth needed to support any services an operator might wish to offer over that network. Our work on Low Latency Xhaul (LLX) defined a common, interoperable method for carrying mobile data over DOCSIS and PON networks with reduced latency. And our work on open hardware platforms promotes computing architectures to deploy and manage network functions supporting various wireline and wireless services on a common accelerated infrastructure.

And we haven’t stopped there. Newer convergence initiatives at CableLabs also include exploring novel interworking options between MVNOs and MNOs to enable a more seamless MVNO subscriber experience, working on an edge-based access controller supporting real-time intelligent traffic splitting, switching and steering across multiple access technologies, and building a service orchestration framework that supports both physical and virtual network functions to automate deployment, configuration and assurance of converged services.

With much of that work completed or in progress, CableLabs believes that now is the right time to create a new industry focus on convergence and ensure a clear and consistent industry view of architectures and requirements to facilitate industry alignment and economies of scale.

CableLabs helps bring impactful technologies to the industry by working collaboratively with our members and the vendors that supply them. In that spirit, we have formed two new groups to help advise and guide us on this journey.

The Mobile Convergence Committee (MCC) is an operator led group whose main objective is to develop the

industry requirements that will enable mobile convergence. Significantly, although most of the MCC is comprised of CableLabs members with mobile operations, it is also open to non-CableLabs members, helping to draw a broad vision of convergence for the industry.

The Convergence Council (CC) is an advisory board comprised of a broad range of experts and thought leaders representing multiple aspects of connectivity — whether wired, wireless, mobile, fixed technologies — or the enablers of these technologies, through cloud and virtualized platforms while embracing open and disaggregated architectures. The CC is focused on identifying convergence use cases that will inspire development, as well as solutions and business models that could unlock opportunities for convergence.

In close collaboration with the MCC and CC, CableLabs will focus on driving the development of convergence architectural blueprints and specifications based on prioritized use cases and requirements.

Convergence framework Although there is no “one-size-fits-all” convergence strategy, it is important to agree on a framework that provides both motivations and an approach for enabling convergence. Based on early inputs from the MCC and CC, a key driver for the cable industry’s convergence strategy is differentiation— that is, leveraging convergence to create new experiences and opportunities that are different from what anyone else can provide.

Within that context, three areas of opportunity for differentiation have been identified:

User Experience: Deliver a seamless user experience when transitioning

inside and outside the home and work over wireless and wireline networks, aided by a common policy, identity, authentication and subscription across the networks. New Services: Deliver an agile platform for creating and expediting new business opportunities, for both operators and 3rd party developers. Economic Efficiencies: Deliver a network based on common and open platforms managed via orchestration and automation to make operations more efficient and cost effective.

These will serve as a basis for developing convergence use cases and associated architecture requirements, in turn allowing us to enable differentiating services.

Convergence is an immense topic with lots of components and many moving parts. Realizing the vision of a truly connected future is a major task and one which will require effort and commitment from the entire industry. However, when you think of all the opportunities convergence can enable, it’s an effort well worth undertaking.

By John Kim, Director of Connectivity, Wireless R&D, CableLabs, and Matt Schmitt, Principal Architect, Wired R&D, CableLabs




Hybrid nirvana: It sounds like a 1990s guitar band that, in the wake of the pandemic, is top of the pops with organisations of all

shapes and sizes. Embracing a flexible working model and enabling effortless hot-desking between offices, homes and coffee shops is a relatively harmonious task for large corporations with well-resourced IT and in-house management megastars. But there’s a thriving band of small and medium businesses (SMBs) who also need support and access to the right digital tools and connectivity to fine tune their work places and get on with running their business.

From retail stores to law firms, real estate agents to independent graphic designers, the SMB market is a sizeable proposition. It’s estimated that there are over 400 million SMBs worldwide. In UK alone, SMBs had a total turnover of

£2.3 trillion in 2020, accounting for 52% of all private sector revenue. The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated SMBs’ digital transformation, with many increasingly relying on online sales to boost their bottom line.

For service providers and operators, there’s a golden opportunity to increase revenue streams by offering these SMB customers the reliable and future-proof connectivity and services required to recalibrate their workplaces and keep their businesses on track post-pandemic. Not forgetting residential customers who also want a one-stop shop for communications and entertainment services — with internet, voice and entertainment accessible anytime, anywhere from any device.

Blending new value-added services with core connectivity to create compelling packages is key. For example, Wi-Fi mesh, device security and management, self-service network planning and troubleshooting tools, diagnostics and seamless billing – each

of these services can help SMBs change the way they work for the better.

Cue Synamedia Gravity: a suite of tools that allows service providers and operators to offer new and advanced video and broadband solutions across existing or new hardware.

With software lifecycle management, support, integration and operational service included from one source, it allows operators to avoid the pitfalls of multiple systems, high costs, and security risks inherent in a complex multi-vendor approach.

Based on Synamedia Enterprise RDK (eRDK) technology, Synamedia Gravity pre-integrates RDK services, third-party services and applications, to make it easy to add new features such as voice and SVOD or advanced routing and QoS, while also supporting business and service continuity for SMBs. With full office network — or home — visibility, users can add devices, services and features with the click of a button.

Synamedia Gravity allows operators to breathe new life into existing devices to enjoy greater value and lower TCO, and alleviates the headache of adding new devices and deploying new experiences. By giving operators and service providers insight into releases, features, and deployments, it helps to improve customer satisfaction and seize opportunities to increase revenues.

Offered as a managed service, Synamedia Gravity isn’t a one hit wonder but supports the RDK product lifecycle from device definition, design, and deployment, to management, monitoring and onto end-of-life.

Service providers and operators can now off-load the heavy-lifting of device design, management, and support and instead find the time and headspace to dream up their next service offering with features that will strike the right note for subscribers.



Hitting the right notes for Hitting the right notes for SMBs with Gravity SMBs with Gravity By J T Taylor, Product Marketing, Synamedia



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What are the key messages and highlights we can expect to see around SCTE® Cable-Tec® Expo

2021 Virtual Experience?This year’s SCTE® Cable-Tec® Expo

Virtual Experience is focused on unleashing the power of limitless connectivity. And even though this will be a virtual event, it is a milestone year for us as a subsidiary of CableLabs®. This Expo will be the first event where SCTE and CableLabs come together for the first time to enable attendees to see the emerging technologies and applications transforming the industry.

It’s important that we are together to both celebrate and create a plan to continue to deliver innovative experiences for our customers. That is our focus for Expo. The discussion begins when Kevin Hart, executive vice president and chief product and technology officer at Cox Communications, inaugurates the general session. He will be joined by powerhouse technology executives whose organizations play a key role in

moving the industry forward such as Corning and Eric S. Yuan, the CEO and founder of Zoom Video Communications, Inc., who will focus on how the industry can build on key pandemic-era learnings as it unleashes 10G connectivity.

All attendees can connect with the experts leading the transformation of connectivity and convergence. The 2021 online program will share the knowledge and ideation to improve consumers’ lives and produce outstanding business results.

Do you expect some of the changes introduced to the show since Covid to remain in the long term?Following the phenomenal success of last year’s award-winning virtual Expo, we had made the decision to return as a hybrid experience. However, due to Covid and the Delta variant surge, we had to pivot to virtual. We remain excited for the opportunity to connect seamlessly with members, partners, and customers around the globe. Because of the lessons learned about the best way to leverage technology to keep everyone connected at last year’s Expo, we had the highest attendance ever. We anticipate greater response this year. Going forward, Expo will be a hybrid experience for our audience around the world to participate in Cable-Tec Expo.

In terms of the long-term view of Expo, we are planning for increased international attendance in 2022. We want to turn this into a global event and

a platform that can meet the needs of truly interactive virtualization. To do that, we’re very focused on metrics. What does the data tell us that we can work better or smarter? With that information, we create scalability that builds upon the platforms we have now.

Normally, online events have a lot of pre-recorded events. We broke the mold last year with 80% of the show as live content. We had some pre-recorded presentations, but the platform we used was very engaging. Attendees were able to do 1-1 video chats or one-to-many video chats; text attendees, host conversations, do meetings. Members could conduct meetings with customers. And this level of connection extends to our exhibitors who gain a very robust exhibitor experience and can customize and host meetings with customers.

We’re excited that we are very adept at bringing everyone together safely in a virtual environment, while also satisfying everyone’s expectations for attending. And we’re really excited about plans for Cable-Tec Expo 2022 in Philadelphia, PA. More and more, we are opening up to a global spectrum of folks who normally would never be able to get here. Being a part of Expo will impact positively how they compete in the marketplace with their products.

Has the pandemic opened up new opportunities for them (e.g., healthcare, smart home, IoT)?The pandemic has really highlighted for everyone the importance of the

Q&AMark Dzuban, President and CEO, SCTE, a subsidiary of CableLabs, speaks to Goran Nastic of CSI about this year’s Cable-Tec Expo and plans for the future

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customer-first culture. As an industry, we have been focused on providing the best experience for our customers and equipping our members with the means to do that. As we continue to define the future of connectivity, we are extremely conscious of that. Through our Explorer program, we have several working groups that are studying emerging services and technologies: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Smart Cities, Aging in Place and Telehealth, Telemedicine, Autonomous Transport, Extended Spectrum Passives, and Human Factors Affecting Network Reliability.

The Smart Cities movement has a relatively short history but has really accelerated over the past few years. A combination of factors is responsible for its growth, including widespread access to high-speed networks, the reduction of data storage costs with the rise of cloud computing, and the expansion of technologies like machine learning, advanced IoT sensors, and mobile devices.

Along with Smart Cities, the pandemic has certainly impacted the perceived importance, even necessity, of telehealth. Not only are healthcare expenses skyrocketing, the population is aging, and patients can be hard to reach

and treat, especially in rural areas, but we just saw a year and a half where patients couldn’t be in the same room as their healthcare provider. The opportunity is that telecom network operators can collaborate with healthcare providers to offer remote healthcare treatment. Network operators are uniquely positioned, as they already have the physical network connections and business relationships with millions of customers.

Overall, are you generally optimistic about the cable industry’s future?Absolutely! The workforce of the future is the topic of the day for all of our cable operators. We need to get our workforce elevated. Not only at Expo, but every day! Our work is about what we can do together to accelerate our ability to get ideation into the market — to generate a commercial scalable product at the right price point to differentiate our networks. That’s the mission and Expo is the demonstration and discussion.

As an example, looking at 10G, it’s not only bandwidth, it’s latency,

security, reliability. In the coming years, we are going to see some significant work in all of these areas through AI and a lot of predictive measurement tools. As I noted at the beginning of this interview, we’re focused on unleashing the power of limitless activity. It’s one stepping stone of which there are multiple stepping stones toward extreme bandwidth and latency reliability, beyond just providing an entertaining network. Like our Explorer Program that is advancing telemedicine, telehealth, aging in place, we are developing and deploying the tools we need to deliver the future of cable in a reliable, safe, and highly secure way.





© Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers, Inc. a subsidiary of CableLabs 2021.scte.org

POWERHOUSE General Session KEYNOTES:

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF CONNECTIVITY AT THE 2021 OPENING GENERAL SESSION

Aiming to shape the future of connectivity, the event’s general session will be kicked off by this year’s program chair, Kevin Hart, executive vice president and chief product and technology offi cer at Cox Communications. Hart will be joined by powerhouse technology executives whose organizations play a key role in moving the industry forward.

JOIN US ONLINEOCTOBER 11-14SCTE® Cable-Tec Expo®, the largest Cable telecommunications and technology tradeshow in the Americas returns as a virtual experience! Cable-Tec Expo 2021 is poised to transcend the phenomenal success of our 2020 virtual event with a learning and networking experience unparalleled in the cable industry.

Register today at expo.scte.org

Attendee Registration is Now Open!

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Eric S. YuanFounder & CEO,Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Wendell WeeksChairman & CEO,Corning, Inc.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Wendell WeeksChairman & CEO,Corning, Inc.

#cabletecexpo

PROGRAM CHAIR:Kevin HartEVP, Chief Product & Technology Offi cer,Cox Communications

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