Aurora Increases Upstream Capacity, Strikes Deal With Chinese Organization

Aurora Networks released its Universal Digital Return technology that provides cable operators with the opportunity to double their return path capacity using the recently reclaimed broadcast television spectrum. ??Building on its digital return technology, Aurora Networks developed the Universal Digital Return to address the growing need for more bandwidth in the upstream.

By utilizing the 54-88 MHz spectrum that was once reserved for analog broadcast TV, the Universal Digital Return module expands the upstream bandwidth to 5-85 MHz, essentially doubling today’s standard North American offering of 5-42 MHz. ??Digital return is a practical way to achieve the high link performance required by a fully loaded 5-85 MHz upstream pass band and utilizing 64-QAM (or the even more efficient 256-QAM) DOCSIS 3.0 upstream bonded channel technology, independent of distances beyond 100 km.

Instead of a laser, an analog-to-digital converter undertakes the hard work in digital return technology. Network engineers can easily deal with variations in loading and link distances.

Aurora Networks Universal Digital Return technology simplifies the transition to a higher split return by also supporting today’s standard 5-42 MHz return path. The Universal Digital Return module uses a common platform for all band-splits (from 5-42 MHz, to 50 MHz, to 65 MHz and to 85 MHz) and then “personalizes” them for not only the band-split required but also for other features, such as “1-fer” versus “2-fer”, data transmission speed and operational modes, according to the specific network requirement. By including all of the required capabilities in one platform, operators may implement those features required to support their current requirements, like 5-42 MHz today, and transition to 5-85 MHz tomorrow by simply changing out the inexpensive personalization module.

In other Aurora Networks news, the company has signed a memorandum of understanding for technical cooperation with Radio, Film and Television Design and Research Institute (DRFT), an organization under China’s SARFT. The agreement will allow both parties to mutually benefit from each other’s expertise and resources, further enabling the DRFT to design next generation cable infrastructures.

DRFT, an organization under China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), is an authority on network design and is used as a resource by local cable operators for its expertise on China’s recent Three Network Convergence design, which integrates telecom, broadcasting and Internet on a single network.

Under the agreement, Aurora Networks and DRFT will develop a joint laboratory where the company will provide technical training on its unique fiber optic transmission systems through a classroom-like setting and hands-on lab sessions.  During these sessions, DRFT engineers will gain knowledge and exposure to Aurora Networks’ technologies such as Fiber Deep, VHub, LcWDM, DWDM, RFoG, and GEPON.??

Also under the agreement, Aurora Networks will provide counsel on future network design projects that the DRFT has identified. Based on the information DRFT provides, the company will generate network design recommendations to use as a prototype for DRFT’s cable operators to follow.