Interoperability Assessments in Cable Systems
Note: This is provisional information. The content of any project and the consortium to undertake this have yet to be agreed.
Main Objective
Cable operators have to extend their field of operation from pure CATV into interactive services in the face of new competition from well financed direct broadcast satellites (DBSs). Many operators have accepted the challenge. Greater market penetration is hindered by the lack of interoperable equipment and services supply in the market. For example, today's cable modems only work with head-end equipment from the same supplier, making widespread deployment a risky undertaking. Furthermore, most cable operators are too small to have their own R&D facilities which means that they have no method of verifying the claims of the equipment suppliers.
The next generation of systems will attempt to implement one of the emerging cable modem standards. There are, however, a number of different standards, each of which provides different levels of service and is open to a large amount of interpretation. The need for practical interoperability assessment has been clearly established. The selection of the subjects of this proposal (Cable modems and their application to ATM and IPv6) was derived from a consultation of the cable industry and considered high priority.
Technical approach
The main approach of the project is to prove at a number of levels the interoperability of a number of heterogeneous cable modem systems. It will:
- perform interoperability assessments of cable modems, and ATM and IPv6 services
- provide a facility where manufacturers and operators can apply to have combinations of cable modem systems assessed.
The proposed project IACS is part of a set of wider R&D activities to serve the cable industry as a whole. It encourages European SME equipment suppliers to implement standards and enter the broadband cable modem sector. It provides the industry with an early test of their prototypes under controlled conditions.
Key Issues
The IACS project is targeted at the cable industry where interoperability for interactive services is a key issue of great practical importance and immediate relevance.
Summary of the Trials
The work will be in first instance an analytic exercise in the laboratory. In a later phase the field trial will be performed.
Achievements
This project is the start of the process for creating a strategy for the Cable Operators introducing broadband services by reducing the risk and also encourage the cable sector manufacturers to enter the cable sector with appropriate broadband equipment suitable for the European market.
Expected impact
The proposed IACS work will be undertaken by a small group of specialised laboratories and cable operators in the framework of a wider R&D organisation dedicated to serve the cable industry, thus ensuring dissemination of the project results to the organisations that need them.
| UK School of Information Systems, University of East Anglia |
| NL CAI Westland |
| NL DeltaKabel Telecom |
| NL Gorter and van Dorp |
| E Instituto Tecnologico de Aragon |
| RUS Rubin Research Institute |
Simon Brock
School of Information Systems
University of East Anglia
UEA Norwich NR4 7TJ
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1603 59 3339
Fax: +44 1603 59 3344
E-mail: shb@sys.uea.ac.uk
