Juniper thinks dynamically for IPTV

Juniper today is launching a new version of its E-series router that is being positioned for IPTV deployments.

Among the most significant developments is the use of dynamic bandwidth allocation. Using that scheme, carriers are able to provide different bandwidths for different applications depending on user demand. For example, if a user has 20 Mb/s of total bandwidth capability to the home, they would get the full amount for Internet access. However, when they turn on a television, thereby joining a multicast session, the bandwidth available for Internet access is reduced by the amount required for video.

“The customer gets the quality of service that they would expect,” said Tom DiMicelli, product marketing manager for E-series products. “In our view, it’s highly flexible because it optimizes the efficient delivery of IPTV in a triple play environment. If the carrier doesn’t do this and the Internet access gets to the front of the cue, you’re going to be mad if you’re paying for high-definition service. With this, you can say that video on demand always gets the highest priority. You can get even hierarchies within the video applications.”

Just as important is the ability to change user profiles without going into every database record. If, for instance, a carrier begin offering high-definition service, a profile of all those that have access to HD could be created. When the user joins that HD stream, the router doesn’t need to figure out exactly how much bandwidth is being requested but instead applies the profile.

“The service provider doesn’t have to statically partition that bandwidth,” DiMicelli said. “If their forecast is wrong or they add a new service, they can touch the router once and all of the users downstream will have their profile changed.”

Similarly, the company is pushing the idea that carriers shouldn’t think of their video streams as just more data. In that model, service providers set up virtual circuits for each service, which can lead to all streams being treated equally, something TV viewers will not tolerate, DiMicelli said.

Perhaps most unique about Juniper’s architecture, though, is its belief that local broadcast signals shouldn’t necessarily be injected at a local serving office but should be captured locally and sent back to a large regional head end where they can be integrated with other channels.

The goal, DiMicelli said, is to reduce the cost of head end equipment and not have encoding devices scattered over wide portions of the network.

“We think it makes sense to centralize the expensive head end,” he said.