In-home passives for cable operator VOO
VOO is a quadruple play cable MSO providing B2C & B2B services over fixed and mobile networks in Brussels and in Wallonia. To cope with the ever-growing data traffic demands the company has launched an ambitious upgrade project of its HFC access network. Upgrading the in-home part of the network has been carried out utilising Teleste’s technology and design expertise.
Project targets and requirements
The VOO project includes the following upgrade targets:
- Upgrade of the HFC access network from 5-65/82-606 MHz to 5-85/108-750 MHz or to 5-204/258-1218 MHz, where the first range means upstream frequencies and the second range means downstream frequencies
- Introduction of DOCSIS 3.1 services utilising the extra spectrum provided by the upgrade of the HFC network
- Analog TV switch-off to make even more room for DOCSIS 3.1 based services
The upgrade has a particular effect on how the signals are processed in the in-home network of the end-customer. One of the most important of these is uninterrupted legacy services during the upgrade. Since this kind of a network upgrade is not an overnight activity, a transition period is needed where a certain level of backwards compatibility with the legacy services is combined with support for the new services – without one interfering with the other. To meet the requirements, the VOO and Teleste technical teams together specified purpose-build solutions offering a future-proof and cost-efficient approach for the in-home networks.
In a nutshell
Operator requirements
- Purpose-build solutions to fulfil project-specific requirements
- Smooth installations with less truck rolls, guaranteed by smart product designs
- Ensured compatibility of products to both new and legacy services
Subscriber benefits
- No uncessary service outages during the upgrade work
- Smooth and quick installations at the premises with as little interruptions as possible
- Improved broadband speeds and better quality of services after the network upgrade
Our solution and expertise
- Wide portfolio of in-home passives with possibility to customer-specific design
- Local presence and understanding of the market requirements
- Decades of experience in successful network upgrades and buildouts
Upgrading the in-home network
Modifying or upgrading an in-home network can be a costly and time-consuming activity. An appointment with the subscriber has to be made and a qualified technician needs to come on-site to replace and/or install new equipment. To make the work as cost-efficient and fast as possible, this truck-roll should happen only once and provide an adequate solution that covers all the situations. Keeping the backwards compatibility in mind, smart choices need to be made when designing the in-home products. In addition, sharp-edged RF frequency filters need to be included, on specific locations in the in-home network, to prevent RF interference and ensure the compatibility.
Local R&D department for in-home product design
Located in Herstal, Belgium, our local R&D team for the Passives and Indoor business has decades of experience of in-home network requirements and applications. The team worked closely together with the VOO technical staff to ensure that Teleste products for the project perform exactly as required, and they offer the features and functionalities needed to successfully upgrade the home network in one go.
In total, the team designed eight tailor-made products for the upgrade, all fine-tuned to match each other to make the upgrade project quick and effective. Teleste’s modular design approach guaranteed that Teleste was able to comply with VOO’s project-specific needs, guarantee the high quality of the products, and realise them to delivery in a short period of time.
More about products
3EDF-01 splitter
The 3EDF-01 splitter allows the use of the DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem while being able to still use the existing 860 or 1006 MHz amplifiers in parallel. A dedicated bracket was designed for the splitter to allow its easy and quick installation to the different types of home amplifiers already in use today.
4WO-BEL wall outlet
This very compact, semi-isolated 1-port 2 GHz wall outlet offers a future-proof replacement for existing wall outlets that still have an FM port. The outlet is designed to fit into most of the existing plastic mounting frame systems and it allows push-on adapters like PFTW-I200D and PFT-I120D to make the required ports when needed.
About VOO
With a host of entertainment and communications solutions, VOO provides broadband Internet (up to 1000Mbps), digital television, landline, and mobile services to customers in Wallonia and Brussels. Thanks to the quality of its HFC network (cable + optic fibre), VOO is stepping up as its customers’ go-to partner that can deliver a unique and simple entertainment and connectivity experience tailored to their needs (for both residential and business customers). www.voo.be