ABI Research reports that large cable operators are on the run to migrate. Telephone companies are racing towards "triple play" services and the pressure is causing cable television operators like Time Warner in the US and NTL in the UK are moving to install "next generation network architecture" (NGNA) based on IP (Internet Protocol) technologies.

A new study from ABI Research — "Worldwide CATV Infrastructure Market" — examines this migration, the new services it will enable, and the new revenue streams that it will bring to cable operators.



A key component, says Michael Arden, the firm's principal analyst of broadband and residential entertainment technologies, is the DOCSIS Set-Top Gateway, which incorporates a broadband modem allowing high-speed delivery of video and other rich content through an IP connection rather than by the conventional cable. "That allows for easier and more interactive delivery of certain services," says Arden. "Video-on-demand will be the first, but later the architecture will permit additional, interactive services: Voice over IP, wireless, on-demand music channels, network-based personal video recording, HDTV, messaging, gaming and more."

Using switched-video technology, it also allows the cable company to know which channel a customer is requesting. That means more efficient use of bandwidth, but will also provide the cable operator with detailed knowledge of users' consumption patterns for marketing and advertising.

Telcos are already starting to offer such packages with their broadband and triple-play offerings, and, says Arden, the cable companies are desperate to catch up before their rivals gain an irreversible lead.

You can view the table of contents and find additional details about the report at the ABI Research website.