March 28, 2005

The battle for the next wave of consumer entertainment and communications services is bigger than ever. Cable multi-system operators (MSOs), telcos, and satellite operators are moving beyond bundling "triple play" offerings of voice, television and Internet connectivity. The big opportunity within the Connected Home is the blending of entertainment, communications and the Internet. Soon, consumers will be able to watch TV and movies on demand, have a single phone number for mobile, home and VoIP phones and access multiple services on virtually any device. Called "triple play on the move" because it combines voice, video, data and mobility services, this burgeoning market is one that cable MSOs want to own. News@Cisco spoke with Jeff Spagnola, vice president, service provider marketing at Cisco, about the company's strong commitment to cable MSOs and new Internet Protocol (IP) Next Generation Networks (NGN) for helping cable operators profitably deliver a growing portfolio of differentiated consumer and commercial services.

What is Cisco's strategy for helping cable operators succeed in the Connected Home and mobile lifestyle markets?

Jeff Spagnola: To deliver combined voice, video, data and mobility services profitably, MSOs are already deploying single, multiservice digital cable networks based on IP technologies. By moving to converged IP NGNs, operators are eliminating multiple layers and different networks, improving service continuity and combining a multitude of services over the same connection to the same end device. IP NGNs provide additional flexibility for delivering advanced services and allow operators to reduce costs and more easily scale their interactive services to serve more customers.

How is Cisco working to help cable operators be successful?

Jeff Spagnola: Cisco is already a major part of a cable operators' network infrastructure. We have provided tens of thousands of Universal Broadband Routers (uBRs) to MSOs, equipped with hundreds of thousands of DOCSIS (Data-over-Cable Service Interface Specifications) ports. In addition, Cisco has been instrumental in supporting and developing cable industry standards such as CableLabs' DOCSIS.

What makes Cisco uniquely qualified to work with cable MSOs?

Jeff Spagnola: Cisco has begun trials of Wideband Protocol for DOCSIS^TM, an exciting new technology capable of delivering up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) broadband speeds to consumers and businesses over existing hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks. Cable operators already have an advantage because they own among the fastest connections to the home, and that advantage has the potential to become even greater with Wideband Protocol for DOCSIS^TM.

In addition to supporting Wideband Protocol for DOCSIS, Cisco is committed to the PacketCable standard for enabling high-quality Voice over IP (VoIP) for cable. And, Cisco is supporting PacketCable Multimedia (PCMM), a specification defined by CableLabs to guarantee quality of service (QoS) via DOCSIS 1.1 or 2.0 cable modem connections for virtually any IP application.

Another key differentiator for cable operators in working with Cisco is Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems. Linksys and Cisco provide a portfolio of hardware solutions to support the delivery of IP services to homes or small offices. For example, Linksys has helped move home wireless out of the study and into other areas of the home with devices such as print servers, game adapters, media center extenders, presentation players, Internet video cameras and music systems. Linksys is also an active member of CableHome, a CableLabs-managed initiative that develops the interface specifications necessary to extend high-quality cable-based services to network devices within the home or office.

How can Cisco help MSOs navigate successfully during this period of intense competition?

Jeff Spagnola: Cisco can help by accelerating a cable operators' successful transition to a IP NGN network capable of delivering services that consumers and businesses demand. However, Cisco is committed to more than just providing standards-based networking equipment, hardware devices and software. Cisco has a long history with cable operators and understands the consumer trends, content demands and standards that drive their businesses. As this exciting new market evolves, Cisco is best positioned to help MSOs' deliver services that help them be commercially successful, because the company offers expertise in several areas: IP infrastructure, voice, video and home networking.

What will combined voice, video, data and mobility services mean for consumers and commercial businesses?

Jeff Spagnola: In the near future, we'll see more than just new methods of communication such as VoIP, which allows an Internet connection to double as a residential phone line. True convergence of voice, video, data and mobility services over a single connection on any device will usher in an exciting new generation of applications. For instance, consumers may wish to use a single telephone number—the network will locate them whether they are on a cell phone, a cordless home phone or communicating using instant messaging on a computer or television. Consumers today are already enabling their stereos to play MP3s housed on the hard disk of a computer next door. The TV can double as a photo album for pictures taken on a digital camera. A laptop in the kitchen can print recipes on a printer in the study. A rich variety of new services are becoming available that simplify peoples' lives and empower them in new ways. The key role for Cisco is to enable cable operators to make these new technologies intuitive for consumers, thereby boosting adoption rates.