ABSTRACT: Telcordia Notes on Cable Systems, which is part of the popular Telcordia Notes on ... series of SRs, provides an overview of cable networks, different architectures, regulations, technical specifications, and the myriad of services that can be supported on a cable network.

The traditional cable network began simply as a method to deliver broadcast TV signals to areas with poor TV reception. These systems were called Community Antenna Television (CATV). Initially, the cable network was comprised of only coaxial cable from the head end (the network backbone) all the way to the subscriber's premises.

Over the years, cable networks have evolved into a hybrid of fiber and coaxial cables known as the Hybrid Fiber-Coax (HFC) networks.

This document takes you from the fundamentals of this data communications technology, through the variation in network architectures, to its future trends in a high-level review. It is based on the latest information available in the telecommunications and networking industry and standards organizations.

With Notes on Cable Systems you will learn about: Traditional cable TV networks and the evolution to the modern HFC network; the effects the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 have had on cable network regulations; various standards initiatives in the cable industry and the various cable network architectures, including the characteristics and components of these architectures; different services offered on today's cable network and the integration of the cable network with other networking technologies; the different forms of customer premises equipment; operations and management; security trends; the evolutionary trends as related to HFC networks and the near-term and long -term outlooks of the technology; and much, much more.

With the Notes on...series, Telcordia Technologies has devised a starting point for your search through the rapidly developing world of telecommunications. Written by the authors of the successful Telcordia Notes on the Networks document SR-2275, this series similarly contains technical material of interest to engineering and planning groups, as well as descriptions of the characteristics and background of these subjects in layman's terms. The difference is that Telcordia Notes on...zeroes in on one technology in each document and breaks it down into manageable terms. From the history, background, and basic elements through a discussion of what the future may bring, our subject matter experts cover the important aspects in as few words as possible. Each document in the series deals with complex, highly technical subjects, and presents the information in a way that makes it accessible and understandable to a variety of readers.