JDSU has been selected by Deutsche Telekom to support delivery of its IPTV service. JDSU's NetComplete service assurance system and associated IP test probes will be deployed in Deutsche Telekom's network. The NetComplete solution also includes software that enables monitoring of service quality from central network operations centers, increasing efficiency and reducing the need to deploy technicians to the field. It ensures early recognition of changes in the quality of the streaming video signals, including any decrease in signal strength, prioritizes issues based on alarm levels, identifies the cause of service quality problems and provides reporting tools.

The IPTV Challenge and NetComplete Solution

The most important aspect of sending TV and video content over IP networks is ensuring picture quality for the consumer. Frozen pictures, pixelization or lack of sound are among the service impairments that challenge IPTV service providers to offer end users an experience that is as good as or better than conventional TV. Without the right test solutions, service providers risk the service impairments that reduce customer loyalty and lead to subscriber churn.

JDSU's NetComplete offers a solution to address these challenges by constantly monitoring IPTV video streams at the most important points in the network. For example, NetComplete monitors IPTV signals at the head end as they are fed into the telecommunications network, as well as at points of presence throughout the network as signals leave the core network and enter the access network. This end-to-end approach ensures the correlation, capture and confirmation of network performance data necessary for top-quality transmissions. Most importantly, NetComplete enables proactive measures to address service issues before they diminish the end-user's experience. Over time, the data generated and captured by NetComplete provides valuable insight into the overall health and tendencies in the network.

JDSU's "head end-to-home" IPTV test solutions also include field instruments such as the HST-3000, a triple-play services handheld tester specifically designed to meet installation and maintenance needs for access networks, including higher bit-rate triple play services like IPTV and HDTV.