Deployments of distributed access architecture (DAA), particularly Remote PHY, are ramping up. A report by the Dell'Oro Group indicated that investments in cable infrastructure are expected to reach $2 billion by 2023. Distributed, virtualized architectures are expected to transform cable broadband networks.
There is heavy investment globally in distributed access architecture (DAA) to make networks "more efficient, offer premium bandwidth, and stay ahead of fiber-based competitors," said Jeff Heynen, research director at Dell'Oro. The investments are intended to prepare cable operators for a future of 10 Gbps services using a combination of extended spectrum DOCSIS, full duplex DOCSIS 3.1 and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH).
Other findings in the Dell-Oro report include an increase in sales of cable broadband access equipment from $1.5 billion in 2019 to $2 billion in 2023. This will be driven by spending on Remote PHY and MAC-PHY devices as well as CCAP platforms.
Since January, there have been several Remote PHY related announcements, including a partnership between Vecima Networks and Rincon. This will combine Vecima's DOCSIS DAA and video products with Rincon's professional services, global reach and optical expertise. When Rincon's optical solutions are combined with Vecima's Remote PHY and Remote MAC-PHY technology, operators are able to use a single source for all traditional and forward-looking data requirements, the companies said.
ARRIS (NASDAQ:ARRS) along with Danish cable operator Stofa announced an R-PHY network deployment in Aarhus, Denmark. It will support multi-gigabit services and uses ARRIS R-PHY nodes to deliver gigabit service across Stofa's footprint in Aarhus. This new architecture is backward compatible and delivers both video and broadband services from a unified platform. The deployment is intended to enable Stofa to virtualize and decentralize headend functions and elements of the open systems interconnection (OSI) physical layer to support service speeds of 1 Gbps or higher. The network upgrade was completed in seven months.
The R-PHY deployment in Aarhus is the result of ongoing strategic collaboration between Stofa and ARRIS to enable gigabit broadband, UltraHD TV, streaming, and digital services across all of Stofa's sites in Denmark. Stofa will transition to cloud-based network provisioning using the ARRIS virtualized management solution.
1Tennessee has deployed Harmonic's (NASDAQ:HLIT) Cable OS virtualized cable access solution for DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 broadband service delivery. The deployment is intended to enable 1Tennessee to deliver gigabit Internet speeds today, while creating a foundation for future speed enhancements.
1Tennessee's goal was to find a "cutting edge cable access technology" to work with its existing plant, while providing a cost-effective migration path to distributed R-PHY nodes, said John Warmath, president and CEO.