Broadband access over cable for next-generation services: a distributed switch architecture

The hybrid fiber coax architecture deployed by the cable service providers has been successful in capturing a substantial piece of the residential broadband access market. In the United States over five million homes connect to the Internet using DOCSIS cable modems. We describe an evolution path to enhance the HFC plant to provide, initially, Gigabit Ethernet (and eventually multi-Gigabit Ethernet) on the trunk and feeder portions, and 100 Mb/s Ethernet on the subscriber drops. This next-generation HFC network will enable cable service providers to address the vast and underserved small and medium-sized business market, as well as offer emerging applications and services to the residential market.