Broadband Cable Communications

Overview

IP Cablecom is an end-to end system for delivery of time-critical communications services, including telephony, to the homes and businesses of cable TV customers and has found wide international support from standards organizations including ETSI, SCTE and the ITU . The system is based on specifications originated in the United States by CableLabs and uses Internet Protocol (IP) and advanced packet transmission to solve the current problems of internet based telephone calls.

Achieved work

The first set of documents defines the fundamental requirements necessary to implement a single-zone IP Cablecom solution for the residential Internet protocol voice services. A typical zone is expected to serve anything from a few tens of thousands to a several hundred thousand subscribers. Eventually, the specifications will be developed to enable IP Cablecom service providers to interconnect their networks to form a national or even international footprint.

SCTE has approved the first set of IP Cablecom documents as a standard to be used throughout North and South America. ITU has approved the majority of these documents for worldwide use. ETSI work has been developed in a series of base documents aligned with ITU. ETSI has co-operation agreements with SCTE and ITU and produces European Standards with global relevance much like SCTE does for North America.

Future developments

A requirements capture has been produced as TR 101 963. The main input to this TR was provided by ECCA  , the European Cable Communications Association. The latest version of the input document can be found on the EuroPacketCable Web-site. TS 101 909 (a multi-part document, later to become ES 201 909), is the centerpiece of the ETSI work, to facilitate the implementation in Europe of IP Cablecom and is the European contribution to the ITU work. The first set of deliverables was published in Quarter 3 2001. A second set of documents was published later in 2001 and includes significant enhancements for the European implementation of this technology. Further documents were produced during 2002 and 2003, to extend the capabilities of these systems. 

Several other documents, from different closely co-operating Technical Bodies (inside and outside ETSI), will support these rapid developments. A global team of experts representing all market sectors are working together to add any extensions necessary to support national and regional requirements that may differ slightly from each other, due to the existing infrastructures and standards. 

IP Cablecom builds upon digital cable modem architectures specified in ITU Recommendation J.112 that was developed for global use. These alternative architectures are currently 
DOCSIS ™ and EuroDOCSIS ™  as annexed to ES 201 488 and the return channel for cable of the DVB project as in ES  200 800.  

Most relevant ETSI TB's are TC AT, JTC Broadcast, TC TISPAN, TC STQ. The work performed under OCG-R&TTE (Radio & Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Directive) gives the status of harmonized standards developed in this context.

The whole activity was co-ordinated by the OCG ad-hoc group on Broadband Cable Communications established in February 2004 and taking over the activities of the OCG ad-hoc group on IP Cable Communications launched by ETSI OCG in February 2001. The OCG ad-hoc group on Broadband Cable Communications was closed in February 2005 at the OCG#25 meeting

The terms of reference for OCG Broadband Cable Communications ad-hoc group  were noted by the OCG#22 meeting on 18 February 2004.

Project phases

Phase 1 work that covers packetised voice for the single zone. In additions, this work includes European capabilities for V5.2, ISDN and analogue packages. These additions had been identified by the European members of DVB-Packet who were also working in parallel within AT-D. ITU-T SG SG9 Recommendations identify these areas for further study.

Phase 2 work covers additional parts in support of Primary Line services and Inter domain communication between two Cable Operator domains. The first drafts are available inside AT-D. These drafts are based on contributions from CableLabs as well as European Cable Vendors and ECCA. These ETSI deliverables are not based on any ITU-T SG9 work. However, it is intended that AT-D  in close co-operation and coordination with partner organizations contributes the work of this phase to ITU-T SG9.

Phase 3 work is to be discussed by AT-D members, and may consider Inter domain communication between IPCablecom Domain and other IP Network Domains (such as TISPAN).

More information

Click here for accessing the presentation made by the ETSI Director-General at the ECCA seminar on IP Cablecom in Brussels, October 2001.

Click here to find a list with the status of approved IP Cable Communications standards.

Click here for accessing the documents of the OCG ad-hoc group on IP Cable Communications.

Click here for accessing the archive of e-mails of the OCG ad-hoc group on IP Cable Communications.

Related work

Broadband IP equipment will support POTS terminals. The most relevant features and functionalities will be listed in TR 101 973.

Although standardization works towards globally harmonized IP Cable Communications standards, regional differences need to be specified.

The DIRECTIVE 1999/5/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 9 March 1999 on radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment and the mutual recognition of their conformity requires with article 4.2 that operators have to describe their network interface. The published TR 101 857 provides guidance for describing Multimedia Cable Network Interfaces.