Vecima's Entra is a next-generation access solution consisting of virtual controller software and Ethernet-centric remote access nodes. It supports DOCSIS 3.1 hybrid fiber/coax, passive optical network, and Ethernet services in a unified platform, beginning with DOCSIS 3.1 Remote MAC-PHY. The platform works with legacy digital video, including out-of-band, to provide a path to incrementally upgrade to DOCSIS 3.1.
A virtual controller offers full CCAP OSSI support, including NETCONF and RESTCONF interfaces for dynamic service provisioning. This means that operators can more easily transition to new architectures, which reimagine the hub as a data center utilizing technologies such as software defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV).
The access node includes a high-capacity (120 Gbps bidirectional) 10 Gigabit Ethernet switch deployed deep in the HFC network. It acts as an aggregation point to multiplex long-distance links into multiple local connections. This reduces the total fiber required in the network. Additionally, by reducing the number of expensive long-distance WDM links in favor of shorter commodity fixed wavelength Ethernet optics, the access node reduces optical module costs, Vecima says.
As one Diamonds judge explained, Entra enables PON and Ethernet while supporting legacy video in a small footprint that consumes little power beyond that of a typical fiber node today. Thus, the economics of the device are suited for locations as small as a single node where larger CCAP solutions would be too expensive.