Companies Demonstrate Emerging Broadband Services as part of ITU-T SG 9

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Two days of broadband demonstrations held in conjunction with meetings by Study Group 9 of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in Tokyo has been hailed by organizers and ITU officials as a major success. Held in Tokyo in the Keio Plaza Hotel, the demonstrations represented advanced work by 17 companies emerging services for the broadband home.

Technologies represented include OpenCable™ Application Platform (OCAP™)-enabled interactive video; voice and video over Internet Protocol; high-speed pre-DOCSIS® 3.0 Internet access; home networking of video and data, service management for a cable quad-play (video, wireless, voice and data); multiple advanced video applications and a high-speed broadband download video service. The 17 participating companies were: Alticast, ARRIS International Japan, Arroyo, BigBand Networks, Brix, Digital Keystone, Entropic, Gallery IP, Hitron Technologies, Integra5, J:COM, KDDI Labs, NDS, NEC, PerfTech, Sigma Systems and VectorMAX.

“It was very impressive to see the quality of demonstration and the consistent flow of attendees at this major event,” said Shuichi Matsumoto, Vice President at KDDI Laboratories in Japan and a Study Group (SG) 9 vice chairman. “I think this was an eye opener in terms of seeing this kind of concentrated display of advanced broadband technologies. Many of these services are the direct result of standards considered and recommended by ITU and this study group,” said Study Group 9 Chairman Dr. Richard R. Green, President and CEO of CableLabs®.

With Tokyo's city hall pictured through the windows in the background, attendees are pictured viewing several of the demonstrations held in conjunction with the International Telecommunications Union's Study Group 9 meetings. Seventeen companies demonstrated as part of the exhibit of advanced, emerging broadband services that have resulted from SG9's work over the years.

CableLabs Lakshi Raman and NEC's Mayumi Matsumoto (both in center) discuss the demonstration by Sigma Systems at the exhibits held in conjunction with ITU Study Group 9 in Tokyo October 1-2. The demonstrations proved to be a successful attraction and addition to the ITU meetings.

ITU-T SG 9 is entitled Integrated Broadband Cable Networks and Television and Sound Transmission and is responsible for standards for cable television and other cable telecommunication services (ITU-T Study Group 9).

Following is detail of the demonstrations:

1. Alticast demonstrated OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP)-based applications running on its AltiCaptor-OCAP middleware solution supporting OCAP I16 and OCAP-DVR I02 specifications. Alticast also demonstrated several devices embedded with the Alticast OCAP middleware for the Korean and North American cable industries including the Pace Micro “Tahoe” HD-DVR set-top box, the Broadcom 7401 DVR reference design, the Humax OC-2500 SD set-top box, and the Samsung SMT-3000C HD set-top box.
   
   
2. ARRIS International Japan demonstrated the Cadant® C4™ CMTS platform enabled with FlexPath™ technology that provides a pre-DOCSIS3.0 solution. This solution provides data throughput at speeds up to 140 Mbps over a 4-channel bonded DS when connected to the ARRIS WBM650C wideband cable modem. ARRIS also demonstrated the Keystone™ D5™ DMTS, a digital multimedia termination system.
   
   
3. Arroyo Video Solutions (now Cisco Systems) demonstrated its platform's capabilities to cache broadcast content in real time and to deliver it for time-shifted viewing under subscriber control, enabling applications such as network PVR. This demonstration featured Arroyo's latency reduction technology, which allows video to be ingested, personalized, and streamed over IP networks within 300 ms of the originating broadcast.
   
   
4. BigBand Networks demonstrated downstream channel bonding on its modular cable modem termination system (M-CMTS), based on DOCSIS 3.0, enabling cable operators to offer subscribers broadband speeds in excess of 100 Mbps. The BigBand demonstration used a cable modem from NETGEAR that references a chip design from Broadcom. Additionally, BigBand Networks also highlighted the ability of its M-CMTS to provide more than 25 Mbps rates to DOCSIS 2.0 modems.
   
   
5. Brix Networks exhibited end-to-end service assurance for triple-play applications like VoIP, video, and data services across cable networks, using BrixWorx correlation and reporting engine, along with next-generation probes, or verifiers, to measure and collect IP service quality metrics from the network core to the customer premise.
   
   
6. Digital Keystone showed its OCUR (Open Cable Unidirectional Receiver) device. OCUR leverages CableCARD™ and DRM technologies to allow digital cable content (low- and high-value) to be viewed and recorded on a Windows Media Center PC. OCUR enables the cable industry, content providers, and the PC industry to come together for the first time. OCUR is based on the DRI (Digital Receiver Interface) specification, published by CableLabs and adopted by Microsoft with complete native OS support. Digital Keystone also showed its test and certification tools, including Murano (OCUR test), HPNX Pro (Host test), and QPNX (Host manufacturing test).
   
   
7. Entropic's c.LINK technology allows high-speed data transmission throughout the home by leveraging the existing coax cable infrastructure to distribute digital multimedia content such as video without requiring changes to the existing home wiring. c.LINK can be applied to a peer-to-peer topology to enable the sharing of multimedia content within a home and the delivery of fiber-quality broadband access to a multi-tenant or multi-dwelling unit (MxU), at speeds up to 270 Mbps.
   
   
8. Gallery IP Telephony, Inc. exhibited how cable operators can continue to roll-out services in PacketCable™ 1.x environments while enabling a smooth migration from single-switch-based solutions to a network-based architecture in all-IP environments. Gallery's technology can help simplify mass deployments of large-scale networks and allow operators to combine PacketCable 2.0-based advanced features and services in order to keep ahead of the competition.
   
   
9. Hitron Technologies Inc. (Taiwan) demonstrated embedded DOCSIS in the area of home entertainment such as set-top box and home media center. It also demonstrated the next-generation home networking device that has the capability to provide triple-play, incorporating with different home networking technologies including Ethernet, wireless LAN and home-plug.
   
   
10. Integra5 demonstrated the capabilities of its i5 Converged Service Delivery Platform (i5 C-SDP), which integrates voice, video, data and mobile content into cross-platform services. The C-SDP delivers these services to multiple IP devices—including legacy set-top boxes—and enables end-users to personalize their experience across all devices. Showing features from Integra5's pre-integrated i-Communicate and i-Inform application suites, attendees saw converged services in action as they are happening in today's hybrid cable and telecom networks, including TV/PC Caller ID, personalized newsfeeds, Internet content alerts to TV's, click-to call, CRM messaging, and TV voicemail.
    
    
11. Jupiter Telecommunications Co., Ltd. (J:COM) iexhibited VOD service with encryption and high-definition technology.
    
    
12. KDDI Labs demonstrated a nonstop IP-HDTV Multicast System. The Nonstop IP-HDTV Multicast System provides nonstop features on the HDTV broadcasting services over IP networks. KDDI's proprietary technique realizes an IP-multicast restoration without any packet losses, even if an IP router failure occurs.
    
    
13. NDS demonstrated OpenCable-compliant CableCARD security modules in conjunction with NDS VideoGuard® conditional access as they have been deployed by several leading Korean MSOs. In addition, NDS demonstrated the NDS XTV™ integrated DVR for cable. XTV-integrated DVR provides the convenience of time-shifted viewing for viewers and significant advantages for the operator because it is fully integrated with the other TV services.
    
    
14. NEC Corporation demonstrated a cable VoIP System. A live exhibition of voice communication using Dynamic QoS that co-works with SIP signaling messages was demonstrated. The system can inter-operate between products in compliance with ITU-T Recommendations J.122 and J.122 Annex J. A public notification system using J.122 cable modem also was displayed.
    
    
15. PerfTech demonstrated a product named Bulletin System that inserts messaging and/or advertising directly onto the screens of Internet browsing subscribers in both wired and Wi-Fi environments. The message insertion is controlled by the Internet provider, is totally independent of any website the subscriber is browsing, and requires no cookies or client-based software. The application runs on PerfTech's proprietary, plug-and-play hardware platform. This technology serves as an interactive component for new, network-based, revenue-generating applications and transforms the provider's traditional role as an anonymous transport operator to one of a personalized service provider.
    
    
16. Sigma Systems demonstrated automated order management and service provisioning for triple-play VoIP, HSD/ISP and video services for IP broadband service providers. The demonstration included an automated OSS solution to create, launch and provision converged services such as voice, messaging, advanced communications and premium content across both mobile and broadband networks. Quad-play solutions included mobile communications services, along with an overview of Sigma's “All Play” solutions for the next-generation of IMS and converged communications services.
    
    
17. VectorMAX demonstration included TVAnywhere™, which provides a robust, scaleable software-based carrier-class solution for the IP-based multicast delivery of live video over DOCSIS networks. Delivering live video to PC and Mac computers, as well as set-top and mobile handset devices, TVAnywhere™ integrates with existing provisioning and billing systems.

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