cablemedia2006v6_1 20/06/2016 17:04 Page 6
MONITOR
Starman, Nokia 10-Gbps residential network
okia and Starman, the largest
cable operator in the Baltic
States, will deploy the first
nationwide 10-gigabit Ethernet Passive
Optical Network (10G EPON) in Europe.
The new network will let Starman costeffectively deliver new ultra-broadband
services to residential customers living
in Estonia and meet growing customer
demand for high-speed, high-quality
triple-play (voice, Internet and cable)
services. The network will be gradually
rolled out in Q4 2016 throughout Estonia
after successful lab and field tests.
Already a leader in broadband services,
Starman is seeing a clear shift from broadcast
TV to on-demand TV and video services, and
Internet traffic is growing about 50% year after
year in one of Europe’s
most technology savvy
countries. Based on this,
Starman decided to go for
future-proof technology that
ensures their network can
deliver 1Gbps speeds to
each customer in the near
term and up to 10Gbps
when required.
The contract shows how cable operators
globally are considering deep fibre and fibre-tothe-home deployments as a realistic and cost-
N
effective alternative to upgrading their current
DOCSIS 3.0 Hybrid Fibre Coax networks to 3.1,
in order to meet subscriber demands.
Starman chose the Nokia 10G EPON
solution as the most economical and
technologically flexible
considering future industry trends.
Its business case benefits from
local conditions that allow the
reuse of existing ducts in the
street, and Starman can leverage
their in-house cabling rights to
bring fibre to each apartment.
Furthermore, the solution
supports DOCSIS provisioning
over EPON (DPoE), which allows
for a low-touch integration into the existing
cable network and DOCSIS back-end systems.
The solution also includes Nokia’s
Optical Network Termination (ONT)
devices, providing consumers with the
latest generation gigabit Wi-Fi
technology.
Nokia’s solution makes Starman the
first European cable operator to
commercially deploy a 10G EPON fibre
access residential solution for
brownfield deployments.
Starman group technology director Jaanus
Erlemann said: “After careful consideration of
the different technology options, we
“Starman’s
choice
recognises
the value of
Nokia’s fibre
products.”
determined that Nokia’s 10-gigabit fibre
network would allow us to deliver the best
service and end-user experience to our
customers. We chose Nokia because of their
unique ability to provide both the latest
technology innovations and
expertise from their top
specialists. When investing in
the Internet services we bring
to our customers’ home,
ensuring the technology is
future-proof is essential. Today
we are choosing solutions that
can allow for symmetrical
connections greater than
1Gbps, enabling us to skip
some current technological developments and
take a seat on the new high-speed 10G train.”
Federico Guillèn, president of Nokia’s
Fixed Networks business group (above, left),
said: “In addition to the business case, cable
operators must consider the rapid evolution of
consumer behaviour, as well as the quality of
the user experience. Starman’s choice
recognises the value of Nokia’s fibre products
to support the evolution of capacity,
bandwidth and services in their network. We
are proud that our fibre access solutions and
expertise helps cable operators meet customer
demands with high-capacity, high-quality
connectivity.”
Viavi expands DOCSIS 3.1 field testing
iavi Solutions has introduced
the industry’s first cable
television (CATV) meter with
network sweep and alignment tools for
the extended DOCSIS 3.1 frequency
ranges (204MHz upstream, 1.2GHz
downstream). Built on the strengths of
the OneExpert CATV, Viavi’s new
solution is designed to support
operators performing hybrid fibercoaxial (HFC) network upgrades and
V
Viavi’s new solution
is designed to
support operators
performing hybrid
fiber-coaxial (HFC)
network upgrades
10 Cable Media
delivering Gigabit to the home to
maintain the highest levels of customer
satisfaction.
In the battle for broadband supremacy,
DOCSIS 3.1 has
emerged as the
next-generation
technology of
choice in the
cable industry,
having
performed well
in trials, and now
operators are
announcing
plans for broad
deployments. In
order to scale
effectively, field
technicians need to be equipped to test
services to 1 Gbps with standard-compliant
and production-ready instruments and
management systems.
Operators across Europe are leading the
worldwide industry in upgrading their HFC
networks to supply symmetrical gigabit
services and are requiring vendors to provide
DOCSIS 3.1 service test and 204 MHz/1.2GHz
sweep in one instrument. This feature is
expected to ultimately be required worldwide
as other operators upgrade their HFC plants.
“Wireline and wireless service providers
worldwide are planning and building out
networks to deliver Gigabit connectivity to
subscribers, and Viavi is proud to offer
comprehensive test, measurement and
assurance platforms to support them,” said
Rob Flask, director of product line
management, Viavi Solutions. “We have
anticipated the European cable industry
moving further ahead than the rest of the
world in expanding their HFC networks, and
have delivered a solution tailored to their
needs.”
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