BigBand Networks, Inc. announced availability of a new solution for the networking and processing of video programming for delivery to FTTP (fiber-to-the-premises) access networks. This solution combines platforms located at super headend, video hub office, and video serving office facilities, and is designed for control of channel line-ups of content from disparate sources, reliable transport between facilities, insertion of local advertising, and performance of network edge processing required for reception by popular analog and digital subscriber devices. FTTP access networks have been chosen by several prominent incumbent and independent local telecommunications operators who aspire to rapidly, easily and efficiently launch and scale video services.

"Telecom operators are responding to a highly competitive market environment by selecting FTTP strategies to build best-of-breed network infrastructures that minimize time-to-market with capabilities to serve current and future subscriber interests," said John Connelly, BigBand Networks' executive vice president of marketing and business development. "BigBand Networks has worked closely with several of the leading incumbent and independent local operators in order to achieve an end-to-end solution optimized for their needs. The solution is designed to reliably provide high quality video content to a range of digital or analog subscriber devices, with capabilities for additional functionality including participation in lucrative local advertising markets, switching of content for personalized services, and an open path toward delivery of television over IP access networks in addition to RF."

Operators typically have super headend facilities in one or a few locations in order to source national program feeds delivered across all systems. The BigBand BMR (Broadband Multimedia-Service Router) can be located at that facility in order to access and distribute programming and advertising content allowing control over channel line-up. Localization occurs with the inclusion of content on BMRs at video hub offices, which are regionally located in metropolitan areas.

BigBand BMRs can finalize line-ups at video serving offices typically based in central offices, including accessing PEG (public, educational and government) programming, switching to EAS (emergency alert services) when necessary and geographically targeting advertising. This content can be multiplexed with programming transported from the other telecom facilities, which have their video quality and availability enhanced by network edge de-jittering, and reliability automated by redundancy triggered when problems are encountered with particular feeds or transport links. In addition, Edge- based BMRs are designed to distribute directly to standards-based televisions and set-top boxes by decoding content for analog delivery with modulation and upconversion of both analog and digital programming.

BigBand Networks' launch of its FTTP solution builds on a record of providing robust platforms for video programming delivery. The BigBand BMR is currently used for delivery of live programming to tens of millions of analog and digital subscribers on cable networks. The company has also participated in several pioneering video service launches by prominent independent telecommunications operators including SureWest Communications, Comporium and Hargray Communications.

BigBand Networks' FTTP solution is designed to provide operators with:

• Grooming capabilities that allow increased control over channel line- ups and the bandwidth efficiency and video quality of each digital program;
• Standards-based insertion of local advertisements within broadcast programs;
• Improved media quality and availability through the interface of real- time content onto multiple types of optical networks for distances up to thousands of miles with de-jittering at termination;
• Increased availability and quality of transport links and individual video programs by automated switching to redundant sources in problem conditions;
• Customizable targeting of local programming and advertising to geographic areas of specific interest;
• Switching at VSO to emergency alert services feeds when necessary;
• Analog derivation allowing digital content within network to enhance transport reach, reliability and video quality, and decoding and modulation to interface with analog subscriber equipment;
• Edge processing of content to interface with digital subscriber equipment; and
• Platform upgradeability that leverages the programmable BMR architecture to enable operator migration toward switched services including switched broadcast and IPTV.

To learn more about this and other BigBand Networks solutions, please visit BigBand Networks' at Telecom '05 booth #1358.