Triple Play

According to a new study released by research firm ABI Research, large cable operators, especially in North America are migrating. Analysts believe that faced with a mounting threat from telcos offering the iconic triple-play of voice, data and video services, cable television operators like Time Warner in the US and NTL in the UK are moving to install "next generation network architecture" (NGNA) based on IP (Internet Protocol) technologies. The study titled Worldwide CATV Infrastructure Market, examines this migration, the new services it will enable, and the new revenue streams that it will bring to cable operators.

A key component, says Michael Arden, the firm's principal analyst of broadband and residential entertainment technologies, is the DOCSIS Set-Top Gateway, which incorporates a broadband modem allowing high-speed delivery of video and other rich content through an IP connection rather than by the conventional cable. "That allows for easier and more interactive delivery of certain services," states Arden. "Video-on-demand will be the first, but later the architecture will permit additional, interactive services: Voice over IP, wireless, on-demand music channels, network-based personal video recording, HDTV, messaging, gaming and more," he concluded.

New York-based ABI says that using switched-video technology, it also allows the cable company to know which channel a customer is requesting. The firm explained further, that means more efficient use of bandwidth, but will also provide the cable operator with detailed knowledge of users' consumption patterns for marketing and advertising.

The study revealed that telcos are already starting to offer such packages with their broadband and triple-play offerings, and, says Arden, the cable companies are desperate to catch up before their rivals gain an irreversible lead. This shift in network architecture isn't proceeding in the same way everywhere. Cable market penetration and size, the age of networks, and broadband alternatives all play roles outside North America. The Worldwide CATV Infrastructure Market study further examines various aspects of CATV economics, including subscriber growth, industry revenue sources, industry concentration trends, and competitive pressures.

ABI Research
www.abiresearch.com