Author: Jeff Walker, Director of CMTS Product Marketing
Cable operators face a new problem. As more consumers rely on wireless connectivity from multiple network types, cable companies face an increasingly complex challenge in subscriber management. Subs that move from home broadband connections, to public Wi-Fi, to mobile broadband networks and back again are difficult to track. And when subscribers are difficult to track, it’s also difficult to optimize network utilization, ensure consistent QoS and manage authentication protocols.
Historically when cable companies have looked at subscriber profiles, they’ve identified subs by their associated DOCSIS® data modems. Add in new cable Wi-Fi and mobile broadband services, however, and that approach has to change. Instead of managing profiles connected to a single modem, MSOs need to start looking at aggregating consumer wireless services so that each individual subscriber account can be associated with broadband usage across multiple networks.
There are a lot of variables to consider in creating a new subscriber management approach. We have three recommendations for moving forward.
- The CMTS or future CCAP platform should play a critical role in subscriber management. While some are advocating for all subscriber management to take place at the network edge, we believe it is more efficient and cost effective for subscriber management functions in the cable access network to play a role in the process. The CMTS is already designed to handle subscriber administration, whereas an edge router is not equipped to manage the additional processing required.
- CableLabs should play a role in defining subscriber management specifications. Creating a standard approach is particularly important in this case given the variety of network types, and the number of network operators and vendors involved.
- The industry should look at existing methods of subscriber management to determine how they can be applied to the new wireless landscape. Existing specifications like PacketCable™ Multimedia will help point the way for providers facing new subscriber management challenges.
There are implications outside of wireless, too. We can conceive of a future where operators will be able to provision subscribers with service levels that remain consistent even as a user moves from location to location. A business subscriber accessing a work account from home could tap into speeds and security not provided by the home broadband service. Or, a consumer could visit a friend’s house and login to a home account remotely to access a service tier with better QoS. With effective subscriber profile management, there’s no reason to constrain broadband service within limited geographic boundaries.
Resources:
Video: Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP) Market Drivers
White Paper: Bridging the Gap to CCAP and Beyond
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