Bandwidth Management: A Conundrum

Bandwidth Management SystemsSeptember 2010

Competitive environment

• Fiber service operators– Lots of Bandwidth– Lots of MPEG-4 HD– High data rates– VOD

• Satellite service operators– MPEG-4 HD– Lots of HD– No data– Push VOD

• Over the Top providers– use our infrastructure for free– LOTs of content– High speed data (ours)– Social networking

2

Competitive environment

• Bundles still the big draw– Video, Data and Home phone– And now Cell phone, PDA, etc

• “Churn” Drivers– 150-200+ HDs Paramount (and starting to be 3D)– Guide, presentation and user friendliness– Multi-room DVR– Data, High speeds– VOD, number of hours, number of “free” and HD titles

• Retention Drivers– Trusted provider, i.e. straight answers, customer service,

reliability, LISTENs to what the customer wants – More and/or better of all of the above churn factors

3

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

QAMChannels

nonSDV SDV nonSDV SDV

Today's Spectrum Usage

Overhead

Telephony

DOCSIS

VOD

SDV

Broadcast Digital

Analog Channels

135 QAMs

153 QAMs

Unless you make the spectrum more efficient there is little room to add services

<-860MHz

1GHz->

Bandwidth needed: Where to get it?

• 90%+ of the Spectrum is occupied today by video• Less than 10% other services (DOCSIS, telephony,

control, carousel, etc)

• Where indeed???

• So how to do that….

Video must become MUCH more efficient!!!!

Multiple Simulcasts (Plant Percentages)

• Analog 70-80 55% 49%• to Digital SD (MPEG-2) 7-8 6% 5%• to Digital HD (MPEG-2) 35-40 28% 25%

89% 79%• to MPEG-4 AVC HD 16-20 13% 12%• Traditional to IP 10-11 8% 7%• Linear to Time shifted ?• Linear to Adaptive Bitrate ?

110% 98%

6

6MHz slots(“QAMs”) Used

•Assumes base formats without bandwidth levers, e.g. no statmux, no SDV, etc.

860MHzPlant

1GHz Plant

Bandwidth Levers

• Switched Digital Video (SDV) 2.8:1• Just in Time Service Group Segmentation 3 QAMs/yr• MPEG-4 AVC HD (1G & SDV markets) 4.6:1• 3:1 Statmux 1.5:1• Recover unused QAM B/W (FM, Above 860, etc) 2-6 QAMs• Analog Reclamation 2-3

QAMs/yr• Just in time VOD & DOCSIS support Varies• Future ideas

– QAM Sharing– Video over IP– 1024QAM– Deep Digital or All Digital– Reduce “legacy” multi-formatted channels: SD, Linear?

7

Efficiency Increase

Bandwidth Efficiency (Multiplier)

1

6MHz

10 -.1

2

2.8

-.5

1.5

1.5 2 2.5 -.2 4

8

Analog

SD

HD

3D

Video Over IP

Broadcast Simulcast Statmux SDV Statmux SDVBroadcast SimulcastMPEG-4 AVCMPEG-2

Frame Compatible Frame Packed

2 -.5 6**

4+ -.13

.8 5**

9*

-1

Assumes min. 4Bonded channels;

300ms buffer in Settop

* Due mostly to few settops able to receive MPEG-4 AVC**Assumes few 3D viewers as yet, when Frame Compatible that advantage is gone

Bandwidth Efficiency (Channels)

1

6MHz

10 -1

2

28

-1

15

3 4 5 -1 8

9

Analog

SD

HD

3D

Video Over IP

Broadcast Simulcast Statmux SDV Statmux SDVBroadcast SimulcastMPEG-4 AVCMPEG-2

Frame Compatible Frame Packed

2 -1 12**

8+ -1

1.6 10**

18*

-1

Assumes min. 4channels bonded;

300ms buffer in Settop

* Due mostly to few settops able to receive MPEG-4 AVC**Assumes few 3D viewers as yet, when Frame Compatible that advantage is gone

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

# ofQAMs

2010 nonSDV

2010SDV

2011 2012 2013 2015 2016 2017 2018

Year

Spectrum Usage

Overhead

Telephony

DOCSIS/CMAP

VOD

SDV

Broadcast Digital

Analog Channels

Spectrum Usage (860MHz plant)

10

135 QAMs

0102030405060708090

100110120130140150160

QAMChannels

2010nonSDV

2010SDV

2011 2012 2013 2015 2016 2017 2018

Year

1GHz Spectrum Usage

Overhead

Telephony

DOCSIS/CMAP

VOD

SDV

Broadcast Digital

Analog Channels

Spectrum Usage (1GHz plant)

153 QAMs

End Point (2018+)

• 9-11 Analog Broadcaster Channels->eventually no analog

• Digital Content format– Linear Content: Live Sports only– Time shifted content: All other (Broadcast, Movies, etc.)

• IP throughout the home (80% Video, 20% Data)– IP settop– Handheld (mobile, nomadic)– PCs– Video Gaming

• Marriage of Wireless and HFC?– Possibly MicroCells using Cable distribution

12

Conclusion

No matter how big the pipe, new services will grow to oversubscribe it:

Bandwidth Management has no end…

Thank You

• Any Questions?