> Broadband Gear Report's VoIP Alert for June 30, 2006

Up Front

Cable-Tec Expo '06: The VoIP Scoop

Despite the constant, hard sell chatter that surrounds consumer IP telephony, it's important to keep sight of the reality that VoIP services are still in their early stages. Research firm IDC reminds us of that fact in a recent study that predicts exponential growth in the next few years. The company predicts that residential U.S. VoIP subscribers will grow from 10.3 million in 2006 to 44 million in 2010, and that VoIP will be used in 62% of broadband households in 2010.

With those kinds of numbers at stake, plenty of vendors were looking to catch attendees' VoIP attention at SCTE's Cable-Tec Expo 2006, which took place June 20-23 in Denver. Among the VoIP and VoIP-related solutions on display at Expo '06 were the following:

CableMatrix used the show to demonstrate an IMS-compliant Policy Decision Function (PDF). With the PDF, ops can guarantee end-to-end service quality for IP-based applications traversing over converged networks, according to the company. CableMatrix also highlighted QoS-enhanced VoIP over WiMAX as a service offering for ops looking to penetrate low-density areas.
At the C-COR exhibit, attendees could get details on the company's recently announced Bandwidth QoS Network Appliance solution. The appliance marries the feature sets of C-COR's CableEdge and Policy Service Manager (PSM) to give ops a way to ensure fair-share of high-speed data bandwidth among subs despite rapid rises in traffic levels and network congestion. The solution levels the distribution of bandwidth demands on the network and guarantees that bandwidth is distributed fairly across broadband subs. At the onset of rapid rises in traffic levels and network congestion, the application sends an alert to the PSM to implement a fairness policy, optimizing network performance to avoid slowdowns to high-speed data users and prioritizing applications such as VoIP.

Cedar Point showed off the ability of its SAFARI C³ multimedia switching system to help ops reduce PSTN interconnection costs through SIP peering of voice traffic. Cedar Point also highlighted how SAFARI C³ can support both today's voice needs and the anticipated migration to IMS platforms for fixed-mobile convergence. "As the cable telephony landscape continues to evolve, operators are recognizing the value of ensuring that their networks are prepared for the next phase of IP voice services," said Dave Spear, EVP, strategy and market development at Cedar Point, said. "SAFARI C³ was forward-architected to bring the same simplicity, cost-effectiveness and scalability to future services that it does to today's PacketCable offerings."
Incognito Software announced its multi-unit testing platform for cable modems and MTAs, the Broadband Command Center multi-unit MTA test appliance. It allows testing of as many as 44 devices with one appliance in less than five minutes, according to the company. The new multi-unit appliance comes in two models: BCC MTA Test Appliance MU 24 Port and MU 48 Port. The MTA Test Appliance MU 48 Port can test up to 12 PacketCable MTAs and 32 DOCSIS cable modems simultaneously. Using the appliance's point-and-click GUI, a regional field tech can reportedly process 1,000 MTAs and 3,000 cable modems in an eight-hour workday. The product comes with device provisioning, VoIP call agent simulation, and test automation software pre-installed on a Linux server, as well as an Ethernet switch, modem multiplexer, and all the necessary cabling.

JDSU rolled out its VoIP NetComplete Service Assurance Solution, which combines a portfolio of test, measurement and monitoring applications for mass market VoIP deployment. NetComplete measures HFC characteristics, the CMTS and IP network, providing what the company calls "complete visibility" into problem areas that are affecting voice signal clarity. On an individual cable VoIP customer basis, it correlates the data and presents a complete analysis to a tech on one screen to quickly pinpoint the root cause of a service problem. It also can perform real-time analysis of mean opinion score, and of simultaneous customer calls and correlate this to the signal's RF performance from a single, centralized location.
Minacom introduced an addition to the DirectQuality R7 service level test automation platform that allows testing of VoIP service quality directly to subscriber-installed MTAs. The Minacom patent-pending MTA loopback testing technique allows both analog/audio and IP/RTP-based end-to-end VoIP quality tests from PowerProbe service level test probes installed in hubs and/or the NOC. IP/RTP loopback testing measures VoIP media streaming performance and quality at the packet level, while analog/audio loopback testing provides true user-perceived speech quality analysis including the impairments audio codecs introduce when performing digital/analog and analog/digital speech conversion and compression. The technique is compatible with widely deployed MTAs compatible with DOCSIS version 2.0 or later, including devices from Arris, Motorola and other leading manufacturers.

Narad Networks and Whaleback Systems used Expo to announce a joint marketing agreement and the availability of a managed VoIP service directed toward small and medium businesses (SMBs). Combining Narad's switched Ethernet over coax solution with Whaleback's CrystalBlue Voice Service, MSOs can allow SMBs to take advantage of broadband VoIP while avoiding the capital investment of a softswitch and increasing capacity when supplying multiline voice to a number of businesses within an HFC node, according to the companies. Testing demonstrates that the Narad fiber-fed Ethernet technology is able to provide many times the number of lines supported by DOCSIS, and the out of band technology avoids further clogging of residential bandwidth.
Among Nortel's Expo demos was a display that showed how WiMAX enables Internet connectivity, video streaming and surveillance, as well as the ability to place a VoIP call over WiMAX. Nortel also focused on Ethernet services by highlighting how business customers can deploy new multimedia applications such as VoIP and video surveillance or extend their LAN to multiple business locations.
Proxilliant Systems previewed its Cable Access Management System (CAMS) at Expo 2006. CAMS is an integrated hardware and software solution that provides comprehensive information about cable-based network and service performance and prepares the network for such advanced services as VoIP. CAMS features intelligence deployed deep into the access network that works in concert with software in the regional headend or central data center. With coordinated management of Intelligent Access Controllers deployed widely throughout the HFC plant together with the CAMS Service Health Manager software, CAMS incorporates management of real-time monitoring of critical fault and performance indicators, correlation of RF, IP and QoS level information, including continuous path and upstream ingress monitoring and analysis.
Sunrise Telecom rolled out the new AT1800RQS, an advanced portable analyzer that can perform all required field RF testing. The native Windows CE operating system makes the AT1800RQS unique in its ability to run third-party software apps with Windows or Web-based WFM/NMS systems. The unit includes a true spectrum analyzer function, a QAM analyzer (the integrated dual band 6-8 MHz IF filters and Annex A, B, C compliance make it ideal for global applications), as well as a patented built-in filtering system and a noninterfering bidirectional sweep platform. The AT1800RQS also is the only true field spectrum/QAM/sweep analyzer that integrates a DOCSIS 2.0 modem w/BPI+ manufacturer digital certificates. In addition, the built-in upstream QAM 16/64 generator option, when used in conjunction with the AT2500RQ QAM receiver, characterizes the return band, by finding existing RF linear and nonlinear network impairments. Specific to DOCSIS and VoIP network analyzer functions, the internal cable modem provides extended level of connectivity to the IP infrastructure and enables increased tech productivity via its connection to the Internet to download/upload files, email, perform workforce management and view maps.
Tollgrade and Minacom highlighted their freshly penned alliance to deliver integrated testing solutions for VoIP over cable networks. These VoIP testing solutions will be deployed on Tollgrade's recently released end-of-line (EOL) probes and its DOCSIS-based Status Monitoring Cheetah transponders that will now feature embedded Minacom VoIP testing technology. That will allow the Tollgrade units to act as responders for test calls placed by the Minacom probes. Using Minacom's softswitch integration, tests are conducted over actual PacketCable dynamic QoS (DQoS) voice channels, providing what the companies call "true user-perceived VoIP service quality testing throughout the HFC network."
Trilithic said that its 860 DSPi digital cable analyzer successfully completed interoperability testing and was awarded Minacom's Certified VoIP Test Integration status as a Gold Partner, the first handheld cable tester officially compliant with both Minacom's PocketDQ VoIP test automation system and the PowerProbe RTP streamer test agent. To receive recognition as fully interoperable, the 860 DSPi was qualified in Minacom's compliance labs, then field-tested at a U.S. Tier 1 MSO where Trilithic analyzers and DirectQuality R7, PocketDQ and PowerProbe test probes and responders are deployed for VoIP provisioning, troubleshooting, monitoring and fault-management.
VCom Inc. and CableMatrix demonstrated a unified policy management solution that reportedly guarantees end-to-end service quality for VoIP calls traversing dissimilar networks — in this case cable-to-wireless. The demo highlighted the potential for centrally managing QoS across a converged network, similar to the emerging IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture. Field trials are scheduled to begin this summer.

Getting Busy with Business VoIP

On the Expo workshop front was the "Can Your VoIP Network Stand Up to Your Business VoIP Customers' Expectations?" seminar, which featured techniques for effectively getting business VoIP customers up and running while ensuring service QoS. Other topics included how to obtain detailed VoIP reporting by protocol (SIP, MEGACO, SKYPE, etc.), and VoIP traffic and quantitative VoIP-quality metrics. Incognito Software's VP of Broadband Technology Chris Busch, and Consulting Systems Co-Founder Don Bowman presented papers at this seminar.

Upping Your VoIP Net Uptime

Brady Volpe, VP of advanced technology solutions at Sunrise Telecom and Michel Nadeau, president/CEO at Minacom offered papers for review in the "Maximizing VoIP Network Uptime" workshop. They explored a variety of voice quality and VoIP troubleshooting topics, including efficient troubleshooting methodologies, MOS & R-factor, advanced test automation and service level fault management.

In the Know

Beyond the IMS Hype: Evolution, Not Revolution

Cedar Point Communications EVP of Strategy and Market Development Dave Spear recently chatted with BGR's VoIP Alert about IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and the "tremendous hype in the market" that surrounds it.

Spear believes that some IMS cheerleaders over-talk its promises of new, blended apps: "Many talk about applications that already exist in today's wireless and wireline networks." Those are generally SIP-based and deployed on feature servers (TV caller ID, click-to-conference, video streaming, TV control over cell, etc.)

The bottom line is that if a cable op doesn't have plans for wireless services then IMS is unnecessary and will just add overhead, Spear stresses. If you do have a strategy for adding the mobility leg to the quadruple play, then IMS is essential. However, it won't happen tomorrow due in part because standards are still developing.

IMS equipment from all types of vendors will have to work together, and the industry won't see PacketCable 2.0/IMS interops and certification until 2007, Spear says. So products based on those specs won't realistically be around until late 2007 or early 2008.

In addition to PacketCable's role in IMS, there's the wireless industry's 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) — www.3gpp.org — which cable has begun to work with. REV 7 is likely at the end of 2007, with products likely in 2008, Spear says. He adds that fixed convergence services could be launched with REV 5.

"Competitive pressure and market opportunities could affect this timeline," Spear notes.

As for his company's approach to IMS, Spear says it is "evolutionary, not revolutionary," and focuses on operational simplicity. Cedar Point's SAFARI IMS is delivering enhanced SIP-based VoIP services today, and SIP is the building block of the IMS architecture, he explains. The key is that you can use your investment in the SAFARI C³ as you evolve from PacketCable 1.x to PacketCable 2.0/IMS and avoid stranded capital, Spear explains.

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