Assessing CATV Bandwidth-Expansion Solutions

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Spectrum Efficiency, Rate Shaping, PON, Switched Video, and MPEG-4

The demand for new services such as HDTV, VOD and gaming is pushing bandwidth limitations on CATV networks. Operators must find cost-effective ways of expanding the spectrum and bandwidth on their video networks without compromising service quality. A number of solutions have emerged that target passive network elements, video servers, encoding technology, access networks, and QAM modulation. This report from ABI Research examines a number of these solutions and provides a market assessment and cost-benefit analysis.

The solutions evaluated in the research include rate shaping, expansion of CATV spectrum, node splitting, switched digital video, PON overlay, home-gateway bandwidth management, and MPEG-4 deployment. An assessment of the potential and actual market value, as well as a cost-benefit and return-on-investment analysis, is provided for each of these technologies.

What Questions Does This Report Answer?

  • What is driving bandwidth constraints in CATV networks?
  • How is CATV spectrum used in today’s networks?
  • How will CATV spectrum allocation shift in the near future?
  • How do operators pack TV channels into QAM bands?
  • What is the comparative spectrum usage for analog, standard definition digital, HDTV, VOD, and other services?
  • How will third-party services offered via broadband impact CATV bandwidth demand?
  • What are likely solutions for improving CATV bandwidth efficiency?
  • What are the costs of the various solutions?
  • What are the channel gains for the various solutions?
  • What are the potential and actual markets for the various solutions?
  • Which solutions have the fastest return on investment?
  • Which solutions have the best cost-benefit ratio?
  • Which solutions provide the best overall return?

Who Needs This Report?

  • CATV operators
  • Equipment vendors
  • Subsystem vendors
  • Chip makers
  • CPE/STB vendors
  • Content providers
  • Financial industry