ATM over hybrid fiber-coax networks

Abstract

Cable TV companies and Regional Bell Operating Companies, e.g. PacBell, are preparing for the future by aggressively installing or rebuilding existing all-coaxial cable plants into hybrid-fiber coaxial plants and by offering a wide range of interactive services which they feel will be most attractive to their subscriber base. These new-to-cable services span a wide range of performance attributes, each placing its own demands on the capabilities of the broadband bearer service system. These services include, but are not limited to: video-on demand, digital video, video telephony, voice telephony, and a suite of interactive digital data services ranging from traditional Internet and information service access (e.g., Compuserve and Prodigy) to multiplayer gaming. The future broadband infrastructure challenge can be met by developing a novel family of integrated bearer service products which communicate using asynchronous transfer mode protocols over the cable TV network. This paper summarizes the ATM over HFC definition work taking place in the ATM Forum's Residential Broadband Working Group and the standards progress in the IEEE P802.14 Cable TV Media Access Control and Physical Protocol Working Group. This paper then overviews the architecture and implementation of a possible ATM over cable TV system. This paper focuses on the aspects of ATM and the MAC layer and does not detail the RF or Physical environment.