November 1995 -- Volume 7 Number 8
Internet access and programming content are two of the key themes of CableNET '95, a hands-on demonstration of the cable television industry's ability to deliver data, telephone and video services to customers.
The CableNET '95 site on the World Wide Web (address: http://www.cablenet.org) will debut November 29 at the Western Cable Show, offering Internet surfers an opportunity to learn about the demonstration via their computer.
CableNET, now in its third year, is a joint project of the California Cable Television Association and CableLabs. The actual demonstration is available for viewing November 29 through December 1 at the Anaheim, CA, Convention Center.
"The Western Show brings together operators, vendors and programmers into a physical representation of our industry; we're trying to translate this total representation of our industry into cyberspace through the Web site," said Dr. Richard R. Green, president and CEO of CableLabs. "We applied not rigid standards but guidelines to bring some format consistency to the Web-based demonstration information of vendors of exhibiting companies," Green said.
The Internet focus was easy given the twofold phenomenon of cable operators who are moving to offer high-speed data service at the same time they're creating World Wide Web sites promoting themselves," said Green.
"First, we wanted to add another dimension to the Western Show by creating a net presence," said Green. Key information about CableNET and its exhibitors, the Western Show and the industry have been made available to Web cruisers, either from CableLabs' Web site (www.cablelabs.com) or from the CableNET site.
"Second," Green added, "we're hoping the show will be a catalyst for increasing the cable industry's long-term presence on the Web." CableNET, the physical version, will feature about 30 exhibitors displaying services ranging from wired and wireless telephony to distance learning, and all sharing a fiber/coax network.
Companies with Internet Applications (Back to Top of Page)
Many companies also will have Internet applications, including these:
Other CableNET Demonstrations (Back to Top of Page)
Other CableNET demonstrations, with brief descriptions, follow.
Bay Networks - will be providing internet connectivity via routers and switches for the CableNET '95 backbone network.
Computer Curriculum Corp. - will demonstrate its comprehensive curriculum-based multimedia educational software for students K-12 and adults.
Cox - will provide a demonstration of distance learning through a videoconferencing link with students at Clear View Elementary School in Chula Vista, San Diego County.
Zenith - will exhibit workgroup sharing, Internet access and telecommuting applications for high-speed work-at-home and remote office connectivity over the cable network.
Digital Equipment Corp. - will show multimedia services which include music, video and interactivity.
First Pacific Networks - will demonstrate delivery of voice and video over a cable network. The system is currently in use in the USA, UK, Holland, Philippines, Japan, and Russia.
FTP Software and LANcity - will provide a live demonstration using LANcity's 10-Mbps cable modem technology and FTP's Internet access software.
General Instrument and Imedia - will exhibit Enhanced Near Video-On-Demand with full VCR-like functionality over existing cable plant using Imedia's Statistical Channel Multiplying technology and GI's DigiCable set-top box.
Hewlett-Packard - will exhibit digital video services delivered to a digital media receiver and displayed on a television set. It also will show data services delivered over its cable modem.
Intel, AT&T and Hybrid Networks - will provide a number of data services to a computer terminal. The applications include electronic commerce, education, information and entertainment.
Videoway/UBI and LSI Logic - will demonstrate delivery of interactive and bi-directional services at high speed over a cable network to television sets. The applications include a wide array of services such as home banking, e-mail, home shopping, etc.
Nortel - will demonstrate the robust ability of services currently enabled by Nortel's broadband network products to deliver the breadth and scope of emerging telephony services.
Panasonic - will show wired and wireless versions of telephone service that use a cable plant. The company also will demonstrate accessing the Internet.
Philips Broadband Networks, Inc. - will exhibit telephony, data and broadband applications working simultaneously on a hybrid fiber/coax cable system.
Scientific-Atlanta - will show the Sega games being delivered via a cable network.
3Com and Com21 - will demonstrate high-speed applications over the cable network including videoconferencing, Internet access, education, and telecommuting.
Turner/ACTV - will demonstrate the use of individualized television programming for educational purposes. The demonstration uses ACTV television software which allows each viewer to control their television experience.
CableLabs To Use Nortel Phone Switch (Back to Top of Page)
Nortel (Northern Telecom) has provided CableLabs with a DMS-500 telephone switch to be used as part of a system for testing the performance capabilities of telephony equipment over cable television plant.
"This switch, when coupled with our existing cable television network equipment, gives us an end-to-end test capability," said Scott Bachman, vice president of operations technologies projects. "This will give us hands-on perspective as CableLabs tests equipment necessary to provide telephone service, high-speed data and other services," Bachman added.
A DMS-500 switch provides local and long-distance switching capabilities on an integrated platform and is targeted at new telecommunications service entrants to the competitive telephony business. Nortel debuted the DMS-500 switch as part of the CableNET exhibition at the 1994 Western Cable Show. The switch will occupy one laboratory test room in the CableLabs building. It is currently being installed and will be operational in January 1996.
Nortel is one of the world's most broadly diversified developers of communications products, systems and networks in three key market segments - Enterprise Networks, Wireless Networks and Carrier Networks (switching, broadband, and network applications solutions). Nortel provides equipment, services and network solutions for information, entertainment and communications networks operated by telephone companies, personal and mobile telecommunications companies, cable TV companies, corporations, governments, universities and other institutions worldwide.
Nortel had 1994 revenues of $US 8.9 billion and has approximately 60,000 employees worldwide.
TCI Executive Bennington Joins CableLabs As Executive On Loan (Back to Top of Page)
Dr. Jerry Bennington has joined CableLabs as a visiting executive on loan from TCI Technology Ventures for two years.
TCI Technology Ventures Inc. president and CEO Larry Romrell, said, "We are pleased to have Bennington join the CableLabs team in this position of coordinating equipment interoperability in the cable industry deployment of new digital technology for computers and the Internet."
CableLabs president and CEO Dr. Richard R. Green said, "Jerry's pioneering work since 1982 at X*PRESS and with TCI's Addressable Center provide the kind of technical expertise and hands-on experience that is simply unique in the cable industry. We are delighted to have him join our team at this critical period in the industry's transition to digital transmission for TV, computers and telephony."
Prior to joining CableLabs, Bennington founded Ingenius(TM), an educational multimedia publishing venture of TCI and Reuters NewMedia. As CEO of Ingenius, he led the startup of the venture and spearheaded the development and launch of What On Earth(TM), an award-winning, daily multimedia learning product.
Liberty Media Corp. president Peter Barton said, "Jerry's combination of vision and hard-driving development skills gave Ingenius the quick start it needed to enter the competitive multimedia publishing market. He will do important things for the entire industry."
In 1991, Bennington founded and led the early development of the TV Guide On Screen venture for TCI. Bennington managed his own consulting firm in Washington, D.C., before joining TCI in 1982. He taught at North Carolina State University and the University of British Columbia. In addition, he was a civilian and military consultant with the MITRE Corporation and worked at Bell Telephone Laboratories as a member of technical staff. He holds two engineering degrees from the University of Michigan and an MS and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.
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