Hybrid communication networks for video and broadband data services

Summary form only given, as follows. Recent advances in wireless communications have created tremendous opportunities for the design and deployment of broadband information infrastructures, rapidly and inexpensively. These new infrastructures can be deployed even in parts of the world where currently there exist very poor information or telephone networks. The relevant technologies include direct broadcast systems (DBS), local multi-point distribution systems (LMDS) and multi-channel multi-point distribution systems (MMDS). These technologies couple in a synergistic way with wire-line technologies such as hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) networks and fiber-optic (FO) networks, as well as wireless local area networks (WLAN). In this paper, we describe several network architectures that combine these technologies and evaluate their promise from the point of view of providing high-quality video distribution and fast broadband Internet services through the same physical network. We then present several technical developments which describe asymmetric Internet services that we have developed for these networks. In particular, we present several results on network operations center algorithms for interactive and broadcast Internet services. Finally, we present results for the integrated network management of these innovative hybrid communication networks.