Taking the path to convergence

摘要

To ensure future profitability, cable TV operators are looking to deliv-er new revenue-generating services while lowering capital and operational expenses. Today, however, many operators are running disparate networks that can be cosdy to deploy and maintain, and inefficient when delivering new services. Figure la shows an example of an un-converged metro network that comprises five individual fiber networks. The network requires a total of 1,990 fiber miles and comprises separate networks that de-liver digital broadcast video, voice-over-IP (VoIP) and commercial services, best-effort high-speed data, Sonet services, and video-on-demand (VOD). This approach of multiple overlay networks is untenable given today's scarcity of fiber resources and high CapEx. A converged network using DWDM technology for this same metro network, illustrated in Figure 1b, only requires 390 fiber miles.