Communications Technology this Month
September 2001

Features

Planning 2002, Part 2

• Metropolitan Broadband Networks
  Technologies such as dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), SONET multiservice provisioning platforms (MSPPs) and emerging platforms based on resilient packet rings (RPRs) can help you increase bandwidth.
• Managing Data Traffic
  Here's a by-the-numbers description of how to estimate your data system's hardware needs, and strategies for controlling bandwidth-hogging customers.
• Migrating HFC to IP
  What architectures should you deploy in migrating to Internet protocol? One option gaining momentum is a hybrid approach that introduces IP hardware in the access network, terminating to Class 5 switches.
• Carrier-Grade IP Telephony
  A checklist of the network elements needed, plus design requirements to ensure high availability, quality transmission, scalability and maintainability.
• Cable Modems
  Increased competition in the cable modem market has some manufacturers bowing out of the game, and others looking to DOCSIS 1.1 and new services, such as home networking and VoIP.
• Business Services
  Tap the lucrative business services market with careful planning of your headend, fiber management, splice placement and construction.
• Power Monitoring
  Standby power is a great way to ensure reliability, but take it a step further. Monitoring your standby power is cheap insurance against outages.

Broadband
Is your network ready for high-speed data? Ron Hranac continues his review of the regulatory and technical specs.

Telephony
Jay Junkus says operators should consider alternative technologies--including fixed wireless--to serve otherwise inaccessible markets.

SCTE Message
Marv Nelson previews the final installment of the SCTE's DigiPoints series, a guide to the documents issued by CableLabs' PacketCable initiative.

Industry Insider
Benita Fitzgerald Mosley of Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) on how to attract more women to cable, and why this would be a good thing.

News & Opinion

Editor's Letter
Sad news: Techs unionize

Pulse

• Comcast engineers acquired a beleaguered system and upgraded it to digital a full year ahead of schedule. How'd they do it?
• Automated workforce management can help field techs perform an extra job or two each day. MSOs and manufacturers are taking notice.
• A July CableLabs exhibition introduced the key elements of digital program insertion.
• Could the need for higher fiber count make ribbon fiber more commonplace in cable?
• 3Com exited the cable and DSL modem business, but tapped equipment service provider A Novo Broadband to keep its installed base running.
• Resilient packet transport (RPT), which goes beyond resilient packet ring (RPR) technology, is raising some eyebrows in the cable industry because of its extended resiliency protection.

Marketplace
Seventeen new products and technologies.

Training
Part one of a series on troubleshooting splitter problems.

Vendor Connection
Links to vendor companies.

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