Dark Fiber

Communications solutions provider Motorola (News - Alert) announced that regional cable operator MetroCast (News - Alert) Communications has chosen its RF over Glass, or “RFoG,” system to upgrade that company’s existing coaxial networks to fiber-to-the-home, or “FTTH.”

 

MetroCast’s network upgrade is part of the company’s move to increase bandwidth capacity for new digital and HDTV channels and provide video on demand services, voice services and tiered broadband services.

 

Motorola RFoG portfolio offers a standards-based, non-proprietary platform to expand existing video, voice and data services over an all-fiber network. The system also provides cable operators with new growth opportunities such as commercial service applications where legacy voice and new IP-based services are needed.

 

“As demand grows for enhanced video, voice and data services, cable providers of all sizes are considering the option of all-fiber for service delivery,” Kevin Keefe, vice president of Marketing and Product Management, Access Network Solutions (News - Alert), Motorola Home & Networks Mobility, said.

 

Motorola's end-to-end RFoG system is a first step in the evolution to passive optical networking, and it provides investment protection by using key elements of existing cable infrastructure as well as set-tops and modems already in consumer homes, Keefe said.

With this solution, Cable operators can expand their service offerings while maintaining existing back-office operations, video infrastructure and customer premises equipment.

 

“Evolving our network simply and economically is important to us,” Bill Lee, vice president of Engineering, MetroCast, said. “Deploying Motorola's RFoG solution helps us meet customer demand for new and improved entertainment and broadband services while laying the groundwork for the future.”

 

RFoG will be deployed at select Virginia properties in specific rebuild areas, company officials said.

 

Recently, Motorola announced that Australian energy delivery company SP AusNet  is utilizing Motorola Home & Networks Mobility business mobile broadband technology to deploy what the company calls as world’s first smart metering program.