Communications network and method of increasing bandwidth in a cable network

Abstract

In one aspect, an optical component is migrated into a cable network to increase bandwidth of a subscriber to the cable network. The subscriber uses a customer premises equipment to communicate with the cable network via a coaxial cable. The migration is such that the subscriber may keep their customer premises.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above mentioned and other concepts of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings of the exemplary and preferred embodiments of the present invention. The illustrated embodiments are intended to illustrate, but not to limit the invention. The drawings contain the following figures, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout the description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art schematic diagram of an exemplary hybrid fiber coax (HFC) network;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a HFC network with a migrated optical component;

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of another exemplary embodiment of a HFC network with a migrated optical component; and

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a table with survey criterion to base a migration of a HFC network.

Claims

1. A method of migrating a passive optical network component into a communication network, comprising: providing a plurality of subscriber each having a customer premises equipment that communicates with a cable network over a coaxial cable; wherein the cable network includes a cable modem termination system,which is connected to a head-end device,wherein the head-end device is connected to an edge device,wherein a communication between the cable modem termination system and the subscriber uses electrical signals,wherein a communication between the cable modem termination system and the edge device uses optical signals;providing an upstream traffic from the plurality of subscribers that passes through the cable modem termination system;providing a downstream traffic to the plurality of subscriber that passes through the cable modem termination system; andintegrating an optical network terminal into the communication network for use by a portion of the plurality of subscribers such that a bandwidth of an upstream traffic from the portion of subscribers is increased and such that the upstream traffic of the portion of subscribers bypasses the cable modem termination system.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the customer premises equipment is a cable modem.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the customer premises equipment functions in the migrated network without a modification to the customer premises equipment.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion of the plurality of subscribers is 100 subscribers or less.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical network component converts the electrical signal from the subscriber to an optical signal.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprises integrating an optical line terminal between the optical network terminal and the edge device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the upstream traffic bypasses the cable modem termination system and is directed to the edge device via the optical network terminal and the optical line terminal.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a decision to migrate is based on a survey criterion of the portion of subscribers.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the survey criterion is based on a population density.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the survey criterion is based on a strategy of a competitor.

11. A method of migrating a passive optical network component into a communication network, comprising: providing a plurality of subscriber each having a customer premises equipment that communicates with a cable network over a coaxial cable;providing an upstream traffic from the plurality of subscribers that passes through a cable modem termination system;providing a downstream traffic to the plurality of subscriber that passes through the cable modem termination system; andintegrating an optical network terminal into the communication network for use by a portion of the plurality of subscribers such that a bandwidth of a downstream traffic from the portion of subscribers is increased and such that the downstream traffic of the portion of subscribers bypasses the cable modem termination system.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the customer premises equipment functions in the migrated network without modification to the customer premises equipment.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the downstream traffic bypasses the cable modem termination system and is directed to the edge device via the optical network terminal and the optical line terminal.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a decision to migrate is based on a survey criterion of the portion of subscribers.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the survey criterion is based on a population density.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the survey criterion is based on a strategy of a competitor.

17. A communication network, comprising: a plurality of subscribers each having a cable modem that communicates with a cable network over a coaxial cable;an upstream traffic from the plurality of subscribers that passes through a cable modem termination system;a downstream traffic to the plurality of subscriber that passes through the cable modem termination system; andan optical network terminal migrated into the communication network for use by a portion of the plurality of subscribers such that a bandwidth of an upstream traffic from the portion of subscribers is increasedthe upstream traffic bypasses the cable modem termination system, andthe customer premises equipment functions in the migrated network without a modification.

18. The network as claimed in claim 17, wherein a decision to migrate is based on a survey criterion of the portion of subscribers.

19. The network as claimed in claim 18, wherein the survey criterion is based on a population density.

20. The network as claimed in claim 18, wherein the survey criterion is based on a strategy of a competitor.