The current view of the fiber-based broadband access network is that it could basically be modeled into two target networks represented by the following architectures, the fiber to the curb, building, home (FTTC/B/H) -- also termed switched digital video (SDV) -- architecture, and the hybrid fiber coax (HFC) architecture. Both architectures support on-demand digital services. One way to distinguish between these two architectures is based on the digital modulation scheme. The SDV/FTTC architecture utilizes baseband digital modulation both in the fiber distribution and the point-to- point drop. Whereas, the HFC architecture is pass-band and utilizes digitally modulated (as well as analog modulated) subcarriers both on the fiber and the coax for distribution to customers. From a network modeling point of view, the distinction between these two architectures is fuzzy. A hybrid between the above two architectures represents other architectural advantages especially bandwidth utilization in the upstream direction. This paper describes this hybrid architecture and provides an evaluation of the different access network configuration scenarios based on an expanded version of the DAVIC reference models.

Date Published: 4 November 1996
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 2917, Broadband Access Systems, (4 November 1996); doi: 10.1117/12.257324

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2917:
Broadband Access Systems
Wai Sum Lai; Indra Widjaja; Dennis Karvelas; Sam T. Jewell; Curtis A. Siller Jr.; Indra Widjaja; Dennis Karvelas, Editor(s)