Jun 10 2008
TXP Corporation, an Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) for the telecommunications industry, has introduced the first of its standards-compliant RF return capable Optical Network Terminals (ONT), giving service providers a practical solution for delivering video and television services to residential customers over GPON while maintaining backward compatibility with existing set-top boxes (STB).
TXP’s RF return implementation is compliant with FSAN standards for three-wavelength GPON deployments, as well as SCTE 55-1 and 55-2 standards that support STBs from the two major brands – Motorola and Scientific-Atlanta. TXP has proven interoperability with 16 OLT platforms and is capable of working with any standards-based OLT. This broad-ranging interoperability, coupled with RF return and all supported through a common software load, makes TXP ONTs almost universally deployable.
“Backwards compatibility with existing set-top boxes is a major concern for telcos contemplating GPON deployments, which is why TXP closely followed all the relevant standards in our implementation of RF return,” said Joel Futterman, General Manager of TXP’s ONT Solutions Group. “This capability in optical network terminals opens the door for wide-ranging deployment of interactive video services over GPON without the need to replace thousands of existing set-top boxes.”
RF return enables telcos to install ONTs at the customer site and interoperate with existing coaxial cable wiring and set top boxes. The RF return channel in the current model is used as an upstream path for customers to send data to the service provider, such as requesting pay-per-view broadcasts or other video on demand applications. The coaxial cable connects directly to the ONT, and the standard 1310 nm GPON wavelength is used for the upstream transmission of voice, data, and video RF return traffic.
The TXP standards-compliant approach is in contrast to other recently announced approaches that require a fourth wavelength in order to enable an RF return channel. As Futterman noted, “There is no ratified standard involving a four-wavelength RF return solution over GPON, and under competitive pressure from cable operators, telcos simply don’t have the time to wait. The three-wavelength approach adds less cost to the ONT, requires less overall equipment per PON and does not limit PON reach like competing four-wavelength RFoG solutions. ”
TXP will demonstrate the unit at the NXTcomm conference in Las Vegas June 17-19, where TXP is in Booth SU 3921.