Broadband Bob Report


10/01/97

  • Cisco, Hayes, Samsung, and Thomson Make Official Entry
  • Charter Offering Data Services in California Via Earthlink
  • KDD to Test Data over Cable in Japan
  • Cox Offers Voice, Video & Data Package to Apts in Orange County
  • Hybrid's Network Chosen by American Telecasting for Wireless Data Delivery
  • MediaCom Launches 1Way Data Services in Ridgecrest, California
  • Hunan PTA to use Motorola's CyberSURFR modems in China
  • MediaOne to Test VDOnet Streaming Video Technology
  • MediaOne Connects 150th School
  • Road Runner Subscriptions Up 50% in Last 2 Months
  • Libit Announces Availability of MCNS Transceiver Chip
  • Oneonta Telephone Using Philip's Crystal Line for Data and Telephony
  • Comcast to Use Philips' Equipment for L.A. Area Upgrades
  • Philips Semiconductors Introduces CATV Modules for HFC Networks


    Cisco, Hayes, Samsung, and Thomson Make Official Entry
    Cisco has finally made its participation public. The router giant had been trying to keep their work on a MCNS compliant headend under wraps, passing out NDAs like Cyber Promotions dishes out spam. Cicso made its announcement along with some of the industry's leading electronics retailers including Samsung, Thomson and Hayes.

    Though Cisco has built a MCNS compliant headend, the company did not specify its plans to develop a MCNS cable modem. It is expected that if Cisco does manufacture a modem, it will be through an OEM partnership.

    While Cisco's entry was not news to most in the industry, its press release was a brow-raiser. First, the company claimed that it had formed an "alliance" with Hayes, Samsung, and Thomson to save the world from non-standardized technology. However, the alliance was simply an agreement to introduce each company's participation simultaneously in order to bring optimal attention to the announcement. Furthermore, Cisco included the following quote in the PR:

    "We greatly appreciate efforts such as Cisco's, which further the cable industry's goal of achieving interoperable high-speed cable modems as soon as possible. Cisco is to be commended for its pursuit of interoperability."


    In the U.S., the quote is attributed to Dr. Richard Green, top dog at Cablelabs. In the Canadian press release, the same quote is credited to Nick Hamilton-Piercy, Senior VP of Engineering & Technology at Rogers. Were the two separated at birth? It is likely there is a PR circulating in parts of the East that has the Sultan of Brunei speaking these words.

    Despite the deceptive nature of the announcement, the new clan of vendors does put the squeeze on ambitious start-ups that have been trying to make waves in the proprietary market. Vendors such as Phasecom and NetGame will most likely have to depend on an OEM partnership to survive.

    Cisco
    http://www.cisco.com

    Cisco Press Release (US version)
    http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/146/1952.html

    Samsung
    http://www.samsung.com

    Hayes
    http://www.hayes.com

    Phasecom
    http://www.speed-demon.com

    NetGame
    http://www.netgame.co.il

    Com21
    http://www.com21.com

    Terayon
    http://www.terayon.com


    Charter Offering Data Services in California via Earthlink
    Charter Communications has launched data services in Pasadena, California utilizing Com21's cable modems. The service is being offered through Earthlink, a national Internet service provider. Charter has signed an agreement with the ISP to act as a turnkey provider for its systems in California. Last week, Charter and Earthlink introduced telco return data services in Riverside, which features NextLevel's SurfBoard cable modem.

    Earthlink is among a new wave of ISPs that are seeking to enter the data over cable market by providing full support, connectivity and integration for operators. Though the operator has to settle for a modest revenue sharing deal, almost all of the headaches involved with offering the service are avoided. It may seem like an attractive alternative on the surface, but just as operators are green to the Internet and data communications, ISPs don't know cable.

    It is expected that Charter will not contract with Earthlink for any systems outside of California.

    Earthlink Network
    http://www.earthlink.net

    Com21
    http://www.com21.com

    NextLevel (General Instrument)
    http://www.gi.com

    SurfBoard
    http://www.surfboard.com


    KDD to Test Data over Cable in Japan
    KDD has announced that it will work jointly with Kyushu Telecom (QT Net) to offer data over cable services in Kyushu. The one year trial is scheduled to begin in November.

    The announcement did not specify a cable modem vendor, but it is expected that the company is using equipment from Bay Networks.

    KDD
    http://www.kdd.co.jp/indexe.html


    Cox Offers Voice, Video & Data Package to Apts in Orange County
    Cox has signed a multi-year agreement with Irvine Apartment Communities (IAC) to provide the apartment owner and developer's residents with a bundled voice, video and data package to be called "Cox Connex." The service will initially be offered this fall to IAC's 25,000 apartment dwellers and will expand to pass additional IAC properties over the next two years.

    Cox Communications
    http://www.cox.com

    Irvine Apartment Communities
    http://www.iac-apts.com


    Hybrid's Network Chosen by American Telecasting for Wireless Data Delivery
    American Telecasting has signed an agreement with Hybrid Networks that calls for the vendor to provide its Series 2000 headend equipment and cable modems for its WantWeb data service to be offered in Colorado Springs and another unnamed market. The agreement also includes a training and support package.

    Hybrid Networks' wireless data networks utilize the MDS spectrum. The network supports 30 Mbps downstream and uses a telco return.

    Hybrid Networks
    http://www.hybrid.com

    American Telecasting
    http://www.amtele.com

    WantWEB
    http://www.wantweb.net


    MediaCom Launches 1Way Data Services in Ridgecrest, California
    MediaCom has launched commercial data services over its system in Ridgecrest, California. The service features NextLevel's telco return cable modem.

    NextLevel
    http://www.nlvl.com

    SurfBoard
    http://www.surfboard.com


    Hunan PTA to use Motorola's CyberSURFR modems in China
    The Posts and Telecommunications Administration of Hunan Province (Hunan PTA) has signed an agreement with Motorola for its CableComm HFC telephony system and CyberSURFR cable modems. The equipment will be used for data and telephony services scheduled to be commercially launched in southern China in the last quarter of 1998.

    Motorola
    http://www.mot.com/multimedia/


    MediaOne to Test VDOnet Streaming Video Technology
    MediaOne has announced that it will test VDOnet streaming video technology with subscribers from its Boston system. Nearly 200 volunteers will evaluate the quality of on-demand video clips from CBS, The Preview Channel, MovieLink, The Weather Channel and Court TV. Testing will begin in October.

    MediaOne
    http://www.mediaone.com

    MediaOne Express
    http://www.mediaone.com/express/


    MediaOne Connects 150th School
    MediaOne announced that it has connected its 150th school to MediaOne Express. The MSO launched a program in June 1996, known as the High Speed Education Connection that would provide schools nationwide with free connectivity to the Internet. MediaOne expects to connect another 150 schools before the end of the year.

    In a separate announcement, Marcus Cable will be offering Dallas area schools free Internet access. Six schools in the Highland Park School District will be the first to be offered the service.

    MediaOne
    http://www.mediaone.com

    MediaOne Express
    http://www.mediaone.com/express/


    Road Runner Subscriptions Up 50% in Last 2 Months
    Time Warner has announced that subscriptions to Road Runner have increased by 50% in the last two months. The service, which is offered to over one million homes, has approximately 15,000 subscribers.

    Time Warner
    http://www.pathfinder.com/@@CTuuOgUA6xi@Rj7P/corp/index.html

    Road Runner
    http://www.rdrun.com


    Libit Announces Availability of MCNS Transceiver Chip
    Libit Signal Processing has announced the availability of its LBT 4030 MCNS compliant cable modem transceiver, a chip integrating a QAM demodulator, a QPSK/16-QAM modulator and A/D and D/A converters. The 64/256 QAM demod supports up to 42.4 Mbps and the QPSK/16-QAM modulator features a programmable pre-equalizer. It interfaces with a standard TV RF tuner and cable driver to support full duplex (50 Mbps down & 10 Mbps up) capabilities.

    Samples of the LBT 4030 are currently available. Volume availability is expected before the end of the year. The chips, which will be manufactured by Analog Devices, will be under $30 a chip in volume.

    Toshiba has already announced it plans to use the chip.

    Libit Signal Processing
    http://www.libit.com

    Analog Devices
    http://www.analog.com

    Toshiba
    http://www.tais.com


    Oneonta Telephone Using Philip's Crystal Line for Data and Telephony
    Oneonta Telephone (Otelco), a wireline telco, cellular and cable service provider is using Philips Broadband Networks' Crystal Line system to deliver data and telephony over its HFC network in Blount County, Alabama. Otelco, which has tested the system for four months, is in the process of upgrading to 750 MHz and pulling back copper. Once the provider finishes tweaking the return, Otelco will deploy 200 broadband telephony lines.

    The Philips' system utilizes a provisioning feature that enables support of data services at 128 Kbps without the need of a typical cable modem. The Crystal Line system consists of headend and subscriber equipment, and an element management system.

    Philips Broadband Networks
    http://www.be.philips.com/pbn/


    Comcast to Use Philips' Equipment for L.A. Area Upgrades
    Comcast has signed an agreement with Philips Broadband Networks to purchase HFC transport equipment for an upgrade to two of its system in San Bernardino, California. The deal calls for Philips to provide its Diamond Transport Transmitters, Diamond Marquise optical node amps, RF amps, taps, and passives.

    Comcast will be upgrading 1,950 miles of plant over the next 39 months. The systems will be upgraded to 750 MHz, with analog services transmitted at 550 MHz and digital services delivered from 550 MHz to 750 MHz.

    Comcast
    http://www.comcast.com

    Philips Broadband Networks
    http://www.be.philips.com/pbn/


    Philips Semiconductors Introduces CATV Modules for HFC Networks
    Philips Semiconductor has introduced a new optical receiver module and two amplifier modules.

    The optical receiver module frequently referred to as BGY67BO is a single module solution in a standard SOT115 amp package. It features -70 dB second order distortion and -80 dB third order distortion specs, an equivalent noise figure of 7 pA/Hz and a frequency flatness of +/-0.3 dB from 5 MHz to 300 MHz. The BGY67BO is powered by a 24-volt network supply and is provided with a 1 meter long monomode fiber tail for use between 1290nm and 1600nm.

    The second new product from Philips is a 750 MHz amplifier module known as BGD702D. The unit has a -62 dB composite triple beat and second order distortion. Power consumption is 435 mA maximum from a 24-volt supply.

    The BGD804 is Philips new 860 MHz amplifier module, which features 20 dB minimum power gain, -61 dB composite triple beat and 7.5 dB maximum noise figure at 860 MHz. Power consumption is 410 mA maximum from a 24-volt supply.

    Philips Semiconductors
    http://www.semiconductors.philips.com




    © Copyright 2000 Gecko Research & Publishing

    The Broadband Bob Report is a weekly take of the latest news regarding data over cable, 2-way HFC networks and related applications and services. Subscribers to Broadband Bob’s Cable Modem Mailing List receive the Broadband Bob Report via E-Mail each Monday. For info on joining the mailing list, visit http://www.hfc.net/mailinglist

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