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Chapter 2OVERVIEW OF CURRENT CATVNETWORKS2.1 IntroductionThe main function of traditional Community Antenna Television (CATV) networks –distribution of TV and radio programs- has rapidly been extended in the last few years.Modern cable systems are being designed to deliver a variety of communicationsservices with support for current and future applicationsAn increased growth of the Internet has created a demand for broadband access.Telephone companies (Telcos) have until recently provided data communicationschannels. They were slow and relatively expensive.CATV networks are considered as an alternative bearer of new interactive services,because they have large unused bandwidth. Advances in CATV network technology andin particular the introduction of cable modem technology over Hybrid Fibre Coax(HFC), allows for diverse range of data communications services, such as interactivetelevision, broadband Internet and IP telephony.This chapter presents an overview of CATV networks. The physical characteristics oftraditional cable networks are shown and the structure of modern CATV networkshighlighted. It also presents some of the most important protocol specifications. Specialattention is paid to cable modem technology. Finally, an outline of high-speed DSL andfibre technologies is presented.2-1