James, here is an article about CMCSK using HLIT's system.
February 18, 1999:
Comcast to Deploy "METROLink"
Philadelphia -- Comcast Corp. has become the second major MSO to deploy a dense-wave-division-multiplexing solution for boosting transmission capacity on fiber from an upgraded system's hubs to its headends.
The installation of Harmonic Lightwaves Inc.'s "METROLink" system in a portion of Comcast's recently upgraded Sarasota, Fla., market represents a much more limited deployment than Harmonic's initial rollout in several markets with Tele-Communications Inc.
But the vendor said landing another big fish is a strong signal that more MSOs may be accepting DWDM solutions as they look for cost-effective ways to create the capacity needed to offer more bandwidth-demanding enhanced services.
"The drivers for that are Internet access and things like digital video -- mainly on the forward path, but also on the return path for things like VOD [video-on-demand]," said Colin Boyd, Harmonic's vice president of North American sales and worldwide marketing. "DWDM makes for more efficient uses of existing plant."
As deployed for Comcast, the METROLink system provides an eight-wavelength digital transmission over 1550-nanometer fiber, enabling the operator to provide its directed services from the headend, instead of from its hubs.
Boyd said TCI has deployed DWDM technology at about 30 hubs so far, for eight-wavelength transmission on both the forward and return paths.
As deployed for Comcast, the METROLink system provides an eight-wavelength digital transmission over 1550-nanometer fiber, enabling the operator to provide its directed services from the headend, instead of from its hubs.
Harmonic said DWDM solutions are relatively more expensive than some fiber-enhancing alternatives such as radio-frequency stacking, but DWDM provides better transmission performance, while enabling operators to locate complex equipment needed for services such as Internet access at the headend.
Requiring minimal equipment at the hub, in turn, cuts real estate costs -- equipment can be housed in a cabinet, rather than in a building -- and lowers maintenance expenses by making equipment accessible to technicians who are already at the headend.
"It can tolerate more ingress noise, while still maintaining a good bit-error rate on the return," said John Trail, Harmonic's director of product-line management for transmission systems. "And if you can pull equipment back to the headend you are saving money.
- 2/18/99
HLIT is gonna kick some cable ass.
Tim |
