Cologne, Germany, ANGA Cable Show and LISBON, Portugal, May 12, 2004 - Cisco Systems® today announced that TV Cabo, Portugal's largest cable operator, is successfully utilising a quality of service (QoS) enabled broadband IP network backbone based on Cisco solutions to contribute high-quality digital video content. This single converged IP infrastructure will help it to make significant cost-savings over traditional methods of video contribution, which traditionally involve hiring either satellite space or a dedicated leased line.
TV Cabo first looked at contributing video over its broadband network in 2002 in an effort to cost-effectively integrate one of its regional channels, which is produced some 300 km away from the broadcast center in Lisbon, into the rest of its channel line up. Using Cisco technology, the company has been able to take advantage of its existing nationwide multi-service broadband IP network for real time contribution of content for more than a year now. This has been achieved at no more than the cost of Cisco routing technology connected to the rest of TV Cabo's multi-service IP backbone and TT6120 MediaLink units, providing ASI / Fast Ethernet adaptation, from TANDBERG Television.
"Cisco had the right technology at the right time for this solution and with it, TV Cabo was able not only to take advantage of its existing investment in network gear but was also able to apply a converged solution with significant operational cost gains," said Manuel Sequeira, TV Cabo's director of engineering.
The IP-encapsulated digital video signals are tagged as 'high priority' as they enter the IP network in Porto. To help ensure that the video signal quality is preserved from end-to-end TV Cabo utilised QoS (quality of service) technology inherent in the Cisco network platforms.
"Many cable operators continue to engage costly leased-line or satellite solutions for video contribution," said Paolo Campoli, director of solutions marketing, Cisco Systems EMEA. "Yet, for the past year, TV Cabo has been proving that, with QoS, its existing voice and data IP network can be used for the same purpose with the same or better video quality, and at a fraction of the cost."
The Cisco platforms include the Cisco 12000 Series, Cisco 7600 Series, and 7200 Series routers. TV Cabo is also deploying the Cisco uBR7246VXR cable modem termination systems (CMTS) as part of its broadband cable modem services to help enable advanced IP services.
About TV Cabo
TV Cabo Portugal (http://www.tvcabo.pt/comum_English.asp) is the largest Portuguese Cable TV Operator, and one of the most important in Europe. It is part of PT Multimedia, which is the Portugal's leading integrated Media and Internet player. As an entertainment and interactive/media company, TV Cabo's mission is to deliver the best television services to all Portuguese homes. It has a dominant position in the Pay TV market, with over 1.3 million clients and a market share of approximately 84%, as well more than 250.000 broadband cable subscribers.
