Triple play triumph for Broadband Forum!

UK: Quality of Service on IPTV networks, for both operators and their customers worldwide, can now be greatly improved thanks to the efforts of a dedicated team of experts at the Broadband Forum.

The approval and release of "Splitter Testing" Technical Report 127 (TR-127) creates -– for the first time -– the opportunity for network operators and independent test labs to carry out a system level test across four key IPTV network elements; the DSLAM, the CPE modem, the Central Office Splitter and the CPE Splitter. Testing splitters as part of a complete system assures the new TR-127 compliant splitters will prevent disturbance of the video signal by a telephone signal on the same line.

“Video signal interruption by on-hook, off-hook telephone usage has plagued Triple Play delivery since the concept first became reality,” explained Broadband Forum Chief Operating Officer Robin Mersh. “I’m absolutely delighted that after such a thorough effort by our Testing and Interoperability Working Group we are able to help the industry and its customers deal with this issue.”

The new TR-127 enables high quality delivery of triple play services by maximizing the interoperability of splitters and in-line filters with xDSL transceivers in an active, dynamic telephony environment, including the previously troublesome on-hook, off-hook, ringing, and ring trip events.

TR-127 addresses VDSL2 technology as well as ADSL2/2plus, and relates to the previously issued Technical Report 100 (TR-100), which covered ADSL2/ADSL2plus Performance Test Plans.

The Broadband Forum sees TR-127 being used as a new reference criterion for the specifications of splitter equipment and testing worldwide. Among the drivers for this series of dynamic splitter tests were:

· Telephone ringing and answering (Ring trip) events had been proven to have an adverse effect on the quality of IPTV services.
· VDSL2 and ADSL2plus needed separate dynamic test procedures.
· There was a need to analyze how splitters might affect the xDSL performance, in terms of achievable bitrate and margin.

The TR-127 addresses these issues with dynamic splitter test procedures. Splitters compliant with these requirements will offer significant reduction of IPTV pixelization on the TV screen image and will eliminate the “re-starting” of the DSL modem. The result is that service providers and customers will soon be able to request TR-127 tested splitters, which deliver better picture quality and a more robust service.

TR-127 was announced by Robin Mersh, COO of the Broadband Forum, at this week's FTTx Summit where the Broadband Forum was host organization.