Globalcomm: Comtrend takes VDSL2 to market

Chicago--As it brings VDSL2 to market, Comtrend isn’t leaving ADSL2+ behind–in fact, the Irvine, Calif.-based company is showing off its hybrid set-top box that supports both, enabling a service provider to move from one technology to the other without replacing the end device.

But the move to VDSL2 is enabling service providers to better address the high-definition TV market, as Comtrend does in its booth, showing three live HD streams over a single copper pair.

The company most recently introduced its Auto-Configuration Server, providing automated provisioning, management and control of customer premises equipment (CPE) devices, which are compliant with the DSL Forum’s TR-069 standard. The ACS enables self-installation of CPE and gives service providers the opportunity to remotely manage the CPE and dynamically provision new services or change the service configuration without rolling a truck.

“We are focused on the [independent operating company] market,” said Andrew Morton, general manager of North and South America for Comtrend. “This product is priced and positioned for that market.”

The key for IOCs is flexibility, he added, being able to address different topologies by using VDSL2 over shorter loops and ADSL2+ over longer loops or through bonding to deliver more bandwidth, Morton said.

“There is tremendous cost to replacing set-tops, and this enables our customers to make the most of what they have,” he said. “Through bonding, we go the same distance as ADSL2+ but deliver 48 Mb/s in the lab. In the real world, we think we can go about 30 Mb/s, which is adequate to deliver one HD stream, using MPEG-4 encoding.”

On shorter loops–those under 3 kilofeet–the VDSL2 technology can deliver the three HD streams Comtrend was demonstrating in its booth, Morton said.

The company also teamed with Pulse to demonstrate IPTV over VDSL2+ in a service bundle environment, testing the ability of the system to prevent “hiccups” in the quality of the TV signal when voltage spikes occur to deliver a telephone call.