DOCSIS 3.1 Deployment

Increasing E6000 CER service group capacity

With the growth of high-speed data unabated, cable operators continue to evaluate if their existing headend and infrastructure can support more bandwidth per household.

Depending on their specific needs, operators can plan a cost-effective approach with their existing E6000 system.

If the need is simply for more downstream capacity, a software upgrade to the existing E6000 CER will enable DOCSIS 3.1 functionality with the current GEN 1 hardware. As a result, DOCSIS 3.0 and DOCSIS 3.1 will be available to the service group, and subscribers with a DOCSIS 3.1 modem or gateway will experience 2 Gbps speeds.

To increase E6000 capacity further, operators can upgrade the DCAM, UCAM and RSM modules to Gen 2. This upgrade, coupled with the E6000 CER Ver 5.x software that supports DOCSIS 3.1 both upstream and downstream, will double the supported service groups and increase total bandwidth sixfold.

Comparison table of E6000 service group capacity

With this capability to deliver gigabit speeds, operators need to consider traffic engineering incorporating all the important criteria, like number of subscribers, average bandwidth consumption levels, maximum bandwidth service level agreements, and QoE (quality of experience).

Evolving to Node+0

In today’s outside plant there are significant factors at play that influence your network plans, including:

• Bandwidth capacity demands. Current traffic analysis as well as projections remain aligned with Nielsen’s Law—high-speed data consumption by high-end users increases by 50 percent per year.
• 1.2 GHz nodes. A new generation of nodes and amplifiers will enable greater bandwidth capacity upstream and downstream.
• New distributed access architecture (DAA). DAA drives functionality from the headend to the outside plant and requires the replacement of modules in existing nodes and an increase in the number of nodes over time.
• Aging plants. For many, the last significant technology update of their outside plant was decades ago. As a result, the failure rate of equipment in the field is accelerating, causing an increase in costly truck rolls.

Because of these factors and others, you need to seek solutions to optimize your operations.

CommScope nodes and module solutions allow you to move toward a Node+0 architecture and fiber deep solutions like remote PHY and FDX (full duplex). Decisions can be made service group by service group as traffic utilization on the network evolves, minimizing the disruption to network and service provisioning.

Node splitting and service group segmentation—combined with an upgrade to 1.2 GHz modules where Node+X is the initial step—along with moving to DOCSIS 3.1 will increase bandwidth per service group and improve overall perceived available bandwidth.

Maximizing inside plant space

Expanding service offerings doesn’t mean more costs in expanding headend facilities or building new buildings. CommScope’s unique Rack and Roll approach frees floor space for future growth, reduces operating costs, and avoids service disruptions during upgrades. The key? PODs (Planned Offsite and Delivered).

Using a POD-based architecture, our Professional Services team builds mini-hubs that contain all the infrastructure for video, voice, and data services, including DOCSIS Transport, edge QAM, VoD, cloud DVR, conditional access, set-top signaling, and ad insertion.

A POD is highly configurable, supporting multiple architectures and other operating requirements and components. PODs also use space, cables, and power very efficiently. Close collaboration ensures rack layout, cable management, and other features are optimized to your deployment needs.
We build each POD offsite. After building a POD, all services and connections are validated at the offsite location, using mock services to simulate real-world conditions. Once offsite testing and final adjustments have been made, we move the POD into the hub—handling the packaging, transportation, and re-assembly process with minimal disruption to the day-to-day operation of the hub.

Once the first POD is fully operational, decommissioned infrastructure can be removed—or redeployed in a subsequent POD or at a smaller hub.

Example POD Configuration