Integrating IP Advantage

While there was a great deal of fanfare associated with the launch of MFH3 from DIRECTV, (Now called IP advantage) few companies have actually integrated this technology with significant scale. We sat down with engineer Dan Waugh who works with the company, Connexion Technologies, the largest installer of this solution to find out how they make it work for them.

How were you first introduced to this technology? What were your initial impressions?

I was first introduced to IP Advantage at a trade show. We're always looking for the new ways to have technology interact, especially in the IP field, given that we are a company that essentially enables services to be delivered over IP. We found this technology to essentially be a contained headend that has an IP output. This allows us to deliver triple play services from multiple providers over IP, simplifying our infrastructure arrangements.

How does this delivery method differ from what Connexion Technologies was using before adopting IP Advantage?

The primary difference is size. Prior to adopting this solution, the equipment needed to create our video lineup would have taken up about five racks inside of a headend room. This solution allows us to have a much smaller footprint on a property and place equipment in a far more unobtrusive space. Now when we work with one of our developer partners, instead of creating a building, we're able to fit almost all of our equipment into a small cabinet, all while delivering the same quality of service and the same number of channels.

So, IP Advantage must have really changed the game for you…

While this is an important development for the way that we deliver television service, our greatest focus from engineering standpoint is still the interoperability of all three services. That's what so great about this solution. It allows all three services to speak the same language. However to us, it's really more of a component within a larger solution. Even though all three services now speak the same language, it's still our job to get them to talk to each other. Our first priority is always how well the services are being delivered to the end user, so bandwidth management and quality of service are very important, and IP Advantage is a big help with that.

How does installation work?

Everything starts with a property walkthrough. We work with the property management to examine existing wiring, to find out which service providers are in the area, and to generally assess the project. This information then goes to our development team, who creates a high level plan of design, while working with our construction team. We consider which access technologies would be the best fit for the property. We take into account the service providers who are chosen and the physical layout as well. We plan the design based on both the technology needs as well as the physical needs of the property. For example, if there was a 100-year-old tree in the community, we could plan to work around that.

We have an arrangement with our vendors so that we actually create the cabinets offsite, ship it to site and then do the installation on the property. This greatly accelerates our construction time and minimizes the disruption of construction activities on a property. In the mean time, we do the trenching and boring for the fiber, so that it all comes together seamlessly at one point. Next, our operations team goes through a series of acceptance tests, where we measure performance and make sure that everything is working properly.

Since IP Advantage is a DIRECTV product, are they the only content provider that can use your network?

Well the IP Advantage portion of our infrastructure is a DIRECTV product and they are a great partner of ours. That being said, one of our main focuses is our ability to offer a variety of options over our networks, and our overall solution for existing properties still allows us to run other service and content providers over our networks, without using individual dishes or adding a to the size of the infrastructure.

Overall, what advantages does IPTV offer over traditional RF (radio frequency)-based service?

For us, we have networks all across the country, and along with the service providers we monitor these networks remotely from our network operations centers. By all three services, video, voice and data traveling over IP, we simplify the network monitoring process, because the same skills and tools are used to monitor all of the services. We don't have to create a new set of tools to monitor television service like we would have if it was RF based.

Also, from a deployment perspective, without IPTV, we would not be able to service the large portfolios of communities across the US as well. This new solution is much faster to install, and takes up about a tenth of the space of a traditional headend room. It would take months or years - rather than weeks - to set up a solution for the thousands of units within these large portfolios.

What type of benefits do residents enjoy from IPTV?

The interoperability that IP allows is one of its greatest attributes for end users. IPTV allows functions like caller ID on TV, more video on demand content and more Internet-based television options. More importantly though, our solution ensures that the entire community can keep up with almost any new technology.

What about the costs? Both financially and in terms of time?

We understand that this solution is not for everyone. We were already familiar with the workings of both RF and IP styles, so this was a more natural fit for us. Also, we created a model that allowed us to replicate the solution on a large scale, speeding up installation times and making us more efficient. However, this isn't for a small scale installer who only wants to use it in one or two properties, because of the initial learning curve.

Although the technology investment is far superior, the decreased cost of construction and onsite labor made this the most efficient method of deployment for Connexion. Overall MFH3 has been a huge benefit and an extremely helpful component in our solution for existing properties.

Thanks to Dan Waugh, VP of Engineering, Connexion Technologies. Connexion Technologies customizes and manages communications networks in single-family, multi-family, manufactured housing and high-rise properties nationwide. Connexion Technologies is not a service provider, rather it selects and manages a portfolio of providers that offer entertainment and communication applications, including the best in enhanced television, telephone, Internet, and other services over Connexion's provider-neutral networks. The company is based in Cary, North Carolina. It was established in 2002 and serves properties in most major markets. Visit www.connexiontechnologies.net for more information.