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Daily news and top headlines for broadband communications engineering and design professionals
Options abound for boosting cable upstream speeds
August 20, 2012 1:33 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsIn a shot across the cable industry’s bow, Verizon rolled out a revamped data lineup that included significant speed upgrades on the return path earlier this summer. To go with its 300 Mbps downstream speed, Verizon is now offering an upstream speed of 65 Mbps in addition to 150/65, 75/35 and 50/25 tiers. Comcast’s highest return path speed can burst up to 20 Mbps, while Cablevision clocks in with 15 Mbps on the upstream.
Digital RF modulators for CCAP
August 20, 2012 12:08 pm | by Ajay Kuckreja, principal member of technical staff at Maxim Integrated Products | CommentsThe demand for cable broadband digital video and data is increasing downstream data rates at 30 percent to 40 percent per year. Meanwhile, consumers expect to keep spending on an increasing number of connected devices at home, helping to assure future growth in downstream demand.
In Perspective - Sprinkles and a cherry
August 16, 2012 2:18 am | by Brian Santo | CommentsI’ve got an idea on how to improve the regulatory environment for video and other communications services that no one else seems to be suggesting, though I’m sure it will work. I am equally sure it isn’t being suggested because it’s unthinkable.
Memory Lane - Switching signals
August 16, 2012 2:07 am | by Stewart Schley, media and technology writer | Comments“Switching is easy, oh it’s essential. And you know, when you flick it, you can start a new episode.”
Ciciora's Corner - Feed the screens
August 16, 2012 1:54 am | by Walt S. Ciciora, expert on cable and consumer electronics issues | CommentsThe march of technology continues to accelerate, and we must respond. The response has to be: Feed the screens.
Open Mic - Usage billing essentials for success
August 16, 2012 1:42 am | by Patrick Knorr, general manager of regional accounts at Synacor | CommentsFor most cable operators, usage-based billing has long been on the list of “things we ought to get around to.” You know it makes sense, but how do you begin without customers coming after you with torches and pitchforks?
Engineering-Wise - Energy: A cliffhanger we don’t want to see
August 16, 2012 1:23 am | by Marty Davidson, vice president of engineering and network operations at the SCTE | CommentsConsumers are being presented with more and more technology-based goods and services every day. The sheer amount of these goods and services is staggering compared to years past.
Capital Currents - Skipping commercials
August 16, 2012 12:59 am | by Jeffrey Krauss, president of Telecommunications and Technology Policy | CommentsSeveral news items recently made me think about the technology involved with skipping commercials.
From fantasy to reality
July 18, 2012 8:21 am | by Craig Kuhl, Contributing Editor | CommentsThe delivery of video content to multiple screens by Tier 2 and 3 cable operators has long come under the heading of sheer fantasy. Not anymore. Now it’s real.
Installation and repair go commercial
July 5, 2012 1:03 pm | by Brian Santo | CommentsThe exact same trends roiling the consumer market are having a profound effect on the way communications service providers (CSPs) conduct their business.
Built for speed: Comcast RDK
July 5, 2012 12:41 pm | by Mike Robuck | CommentsIn today’s competitive market, cable operators need to be both nimble and thrifty when it comes to developing new products and services.
An evolutionary approach to Gigabit-class DOCSIS
July 5, 2012 12:29 pm | by Brian Santo | CommentsThat cable companies would evolve their networks from HFC tech to FTTH, with its attendant gigabit transmission rates, was never in doubt. The questions have always been about the timeframe and what the intermediary steps would be.
Scaling OTT architectures for a multi-device world
July 3, 2012 4:25 pm | by Harish Reddy, principal, and Andrew Lynch, consultant, of IBB Consulting | CommentsOTT video is now mainstream. The challenge lurking behind this phenomenon is that consumption is moving toward a highly fragmented set of devices, and no single solution exists to solve the operational and technical complexities of delivering video to a diverse landscape of devices.
Bad debt: Predicting and preventing risk
July 3, 2012 3:33 pm | by Chad Dunavant, vice president of product management at CSG International | CommentsCSPs have the technological means to identify subscribers who might represent bad debt risks, categorize the nature of the risk and implement policies to respond accordingly – all in advance of a problem developing.
In Perspective - Game on
July 3, 2012 12:33 pm | by Brian Santo | CommentsGame consoles have been serving double duty as over-the-top boxes for years, but what about a game console as an official cable set-top?
