Introduction of optical fiber transmission technology into existing cable television networks and its impact on the consumer electronics interface

The authors outline what they consider a highly likely scenario for the evolution of fiber optic technology into existing cable television networks. The use of fiber in cable television systems is summarized, the nature of present cable television network architecture is reviewed, factors which limit performance and capacity are identified, and the significance of these developments for the interface between cable television and consumer electronics is explored. A plan is proposed to target the use of optical fiber transmission against current limitations. The resulting `fiber backbone´ yields a hybrid fiber/coaxial network with significantly better reliability and transmission quality than the present systems. The potential to cost-effectivity upgrade the coaxial portion to substantially greater bandwidth than is currently practical is achieved. The optical links necessary to implement the proposed system are characterized and the development of the optical devices necessary to make these links practical are considered