For cable operators focused on increasing new services and capacity within their existing networks, Scientific-Atlanta and Pacific Broadband Communications (PBC) have announced the launch of two solutions for getting the most out of existing bandwidth.

Based on ultra-dense ASIC and CMTS technology developed by Pacific Broadband Communications, the new Prisma? G10 Cable Modem Termination Systems (CMTS) and Prisma IP? CMTS Line Card will form the basis for scalable data deployment that allows a DOCSIS 1.0 cable network to harness bandwidth previously unavailable, while providing an easy migration path to DOCSIS 1.1 and DOCSIS 2.0, a company release says.

The relationship will combine PBC‘s high performance CMTS technology with the worldwide service structure and cable industry experience of Scientific-Atlanta. Specifically, the parties have agreed that Scientific-Atlanta has exclusive marketing and distribution rights for North America and non-exclusive worldwide distribution rights for the Prisma G10 CMTS and Pacific Broadband Communications has rights to market, sell and support the CMTS to cable operators outside North America.

Prisma G10 CMTS - Addressing the needs of network operators with an installed base of cable modems where traffic and penetration growth is beginning to exceed CMTS capacity, the stand-alone Prisma G10 CMTS solves the problems of upstream bandwidth and router performance limitations within existing high-speed data networks. By leveraging PBC‘s carrier class C MTS, Scientific-Atlanta‘s Prisma G10 provides operators with an ultra-dense solution of 32 downstream channels and 128 upstream channels, enabling cable operators to support more cable modem traffic with less bandwidth, according to the release.

Prisma IP CMTS Line Card - The Prisma IP CMTS Line Card is based on a CO-development effort, announced earlier this year, between the two companies and will be integrated with Scientific-Atlanta‘s Prisma IP optical transport platform. For network operators establishing converged networks, the new CMTS is a metro optical transport solution that integrates a CMTS line card to eliminate additional routers and optical transport equipment normally required for a DOCSIS 1.1 or 2.0 deployment - effectively increasing subscriber penetration of data services without expensive reconfiguration of hubs and nodes.

These Prisma CMTS solutions leverage PBC‘s custom-built chips to deliver superior RF performance, allowing existing networks to use 16 QAM transmission within 3.2 MHz segments, effectively doubling or quadrupling the upstream data throughput. This is combined with the ability to allocate multiple channels per port for the industry‘s highest per port throughput. The increase in throughput supports more cable modems per port, thus significantly lowering the cost of the CMTS on a per cable modem basis.

The Prisma CMTS solutions further employ enhanced packet processing technology to eliminate data routing bottlenecks. While the Prisma G10 CMTS will be available by the end of 2001, the Prisma IP CMTS will be commercially available next year.

When information technology minister Pramod Mahajan was given additional charge of the telecommunications ministry on 1 September in a cabinet reshuffle it was seen as a precursor to the two ministries being merged at some point.

Well the wait is over. Mahajan announced today morning that the "convergence" of the two ministries would go into effect by next week. Mahajan‘s statement also puts to rest speculation that the information & broadcasting ministry, headed by Sushma Swaraj, might also come under the purview of this new ministry. There was talk at one time that all three ministries might be merged.

Mahajan said the only issue remaining for the the merger to go into effect was for president RK Narayanan to sign it into law.