Project Number: FP6-IST-507554 Project Title: BROADBAND in ...

Page 44 of 319
FP6-IST-507554/JCP/R/Pub/D2.2-3.2
Another important issue of cable network is the interconnection of HFC networks in hybrid infrastructure.
Connection with a broadcast media is not required, as HFC network supports broadcast services, but the
interconnection of HFC the following networks is required:
• Mobile networks to provide subscriber and session mobility between the cable and the mobile network
• Wireless networks like WIMAX to cover non-cabled areas
Different alternatives to fulfil the requirements of future HFC networks are developed in annex 2:
On the infrastructure side, different paradigms can be developed to increase the network capacity, the main
ones being:
• Keep analogue transport in the fibre part of the network and a centralised architecture (routers are
placed in a Local Node)
• Upgrade the fibre network to digital transport in a decentralised architecture where the routers (CMTS)
are serving small subscriber areas (50-200)
• Hybrid infrastructure with analogue transport for broadcast services and digital transport for interactive
traffic.
Higher capacity downstream and upstream will require the definition of more optimised physical and MAC layer
standards adapted to these architectures:
• Much higher peak bit rate downstream (> 200 Mbps) and upstream (> 100 Mbps)
• Capacity to manage efficiently the resources between video, voice and data traffic
• Load balancing between downstream and upstream channels
On the security and content protection aspects, converged VOIP and data frameworks have been defined
within Packet Cable and Packet Cable Multimedia, allowing significant cots savings. This must now converged
with the video security framework, and mobile security frameworks to enable seamless access and mobility.
Different solutions coming from DVB, OMA, MPEG21, have now to be defined, integrated and set-up.
Different paradigms from full system definition and standardisation (like OMA) to the definition of
interoperable interfaces between different security systems (in the continuation of DVB-CA activities).
The operator has to analyse how to extend its domain to the home network on the following aspects:
• End to end quality of service
• Security
• Mobility (session mobility and user mobility), seamless handover
This implies the definition of boundaries and the related interfaces between the home and the cable network, and
also the management and provisioning of home network devices. A first example (but not yet deployed)
example of such architecture is CableHome (see annex 2).
A second example of investigation is the usage of cable network in the home to convey broadcast and interactive
AV services, and to interconnect WLANs in the home.
Besides security, the IP architecture framework including signalling, QoS, devices provisioning, charging has
to evolve to include video and broadcast services, and to ensure a convergent architecture with mobile networks.
Packet Cable and Packet Cable Multimedia are a good basis for this evolution, to cope with multiple signalling
schemes (including SIP and RSTP), and multicast/broadcast support. Instead of defining signalling schemes, the
tendency is more to define cross layer interfaces between application layer devices and network layer devices.
This ensures an openness and clear separation between network, services and applications. Therefore an
evolution of current packet Cable multimedia architecture to support triple play appears to be the logical trend.
This also allows to interconnect easily fixed and mobile networks for QoS admission and control purpose. The
other aspects of fixed mobile convergence are related to a more general framework independent of cable.
Hybrid infrastructures like HFC/W infrastructures with wireless cells are desirable to provide an optimal
infrastructure. Beside a common IP archtitecture, and common provisioning mechanisms, common MAC layer
can be imagined as well as the medium have identical point to multipoint topologies.