Cable networks are stretched to the limit. Twenty-year old cable access networks are struggling with faster Internet connections, streaming media devices, and the shifting of businesses applications to the cloud. A quick peak at the latest numbers from Ovum show just how much has changed in how subscribers utilize the Cable access network.

And, once virtual reality spreads from gaming to travel to education and training, the impact on bandwidth demand will skyrocket even higher. As it is, VR headsets, require 60 frames of video a second to avoid nauseating users. Delivering that video at 4K resolution to each eye will need eight times the bandwidth of a single HD TV. Dedicated home-based VR set-ups could deliver an even more realistic experience using 120 frames per second, which would require 32 times the bandwidth of today’s HD TVs to produce realistic experiences.

While demands have sped up, Cable’s last mile has stayed the same. Yesterday’s network just won’t cut it with today’s users. Today’s users have a choice and they have shown that they will cut loose to get what they want.  Cable is still the dominant player in residential broadband in the United States, with a market share of 65% but operators need to make a change and increase their network capacity to compete with over the top players and deliver quality business services. 

Cable operators know they need to modernize their access networks.  Wireless backhaul, enterprise GigE connections and residential Gig speed are the services most often cited as being the most important reasons for new infrastructure investments.

Fiber Deep and architecture for the next 20 years. 

By modernizing with a Fiber Deep architecture a cable operator can deliver the services users want with the quality they expect. An investment in a Fiber Deep architecture will enable a cable operator to grow today and take advantage of future technologies that have immense bandwidth capacity demands.

A Fiber Deep Solution with a small footprint that combines coherent optics with packet-optical capabilities, will enable cable operators to scale bandwidth in the access network. With a Fiber Deep architecture in place, data-intensive industries, from virtual reality to blockchain to gene sequencing can collaborate and ship massive digital files in an instant. It’s time to modernize the cable access plant—uplifting cable operators’ ability to deliver Quality of Experience to consumers, businesses, and enterprises. 

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