2008-03-25

Belden provides broadband solutions for CATV systems

Belden manufactures wire and cable broadband solutions that provide the bandwidth needed to build the infrastructure for today's CableTV and satellite dish technology. Theo van Rijn, Product Marketing Operations Manager for Belden EMEA, gives an overview of the company’s capabilities in the CATV or Provider market.

“CATV is a system of providing television to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through fixed optical fibers or coaxial cables. As CATV is becoming more established, FM radio programming, high-speed Internet, telephony and similar non television services are also be provided using the same bandwith.

"With wireless communication becoming a part of everyone's life, people communicate more and more through wireless networks such as cellular phones, TV Broadcasting and WLAN. Increasingly, the networks serving them become Hybrid Fiber Coax.

“Belden has a complete range of products for this market. It includes one of the most comprehensive, economical and up-to-date selections of reliable 75 Ohm and 50 Ohm coaxial cable products on the market today.
The distribution and drop coaxes feature Belden's innovative, high performance Duobond Plus® shielding or Belden's Duobond® II shield. Belden Duobond Plus® (Tri-shield) Cables have consistently outperformed the more elaborate quad-shielded cables.”

Developments
“Current projects in Fiber to the Home are driven by CATV operators. This is not a rapid change over as CATV operators want to extend the broadband coax life as long as possible. Telco operators are also slowly moving towards the fiber to the home, as they want to extend the Twisted Pair life as long as possible. The true drivers are new providers as they are looking to build completely new networks with extremely high bandwidth.

“Key considerations are the growing demand for higher bandwidth. The triple play use of that bandwidth: for telephone, internet and TV or HDTV, and the ongoing split between the roles of the network provider and content provider. Many countries – for instance in Eastern Europe – are now beginning to create their infrastructure.

“Belden has an impressive list of reference cases and a strong tradition of moving with the market to meet new needs for increased bandwidth and easy installation.”