Cisco Unveils GigE Digital Video Network Solution for MSOs

Cisco Systems unveiled a Gigabit Ethernet-based Digital Video Network solution for Multiple System Operators (MSOs) providing video on-demand services. Cisco's VOD-Optimized Gigabit Ethernet solution is an asymmetric transport and switching system based on the company's Catalyst switches, new DWDM pluggable integrated optics (GBIC), new optical filtering capabilities and IOS' intelligent Network Control Plane software. The DWDM optics plug directly into the GBIC-based Gigabit Ethernet interfaces on Cisco Catalyst switches, eliminating the need for a separate optical transponder. Cisco is also releasing receive-only versions of these GBICs that will accept any incoming wavelength in the DWDM or CWDM bands. Cisco's intelligent control plane leverages Unidirectional Link Routing (UDLR) to allow bi-directional connectivity in the network, even if VOD transport networks are optimized to be highly asymmetric or even unidirectional. This allows cable operators to deploy sizeable, dedicated amounts of bandwidth downstream out to the hubs without the need to provision the same amount of bandwidth in the upstream direction. Cisco said Gigabit Ethernet is inherently lower cost and higher bandwidth than existing, hardwired DVB-ASI infrastructures, which provide 240 Mbps capacity per interface.
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