Stofa, a major cable operator in Denmark, recently selected the Remote-PHY version of the Distributed Access Architecture to upgrade its network to DOCSIS 3.1. ARRIS supplied most of the solution, including the CCAP Core, RPD and R-PHY nodes. The solution went live in March 2018.

Stofa followed a deliberate and comprehensive process to identify its requirements, which drove the selection of the vendor and the solution. However, the extensive selection process was only the beginning. What followed were intensive workshops and walk throughs, which helped to evolve the solution to meet the needs of Stofa.

The migration to DAA has far reaching implications for an operator’s network and operating environment, for example, the analog network that connected the integrated CCAP to the fiber node is now replaced by a digital network, connecting a multitude of CCAP cores to multi-thousand RPDs. Such a network is complex to manage and requires a new skillset. The monitoring tools no longer work in the new environment, and the RF alignment processes need to be revisited. Careful consideration should be given to power consumption in the nodes and to their form factor.

Careful planning and extensive testing ensured a successful, smooth go live for the solution. By migrating to Remote-PHY, Stofa was able to reap significant savings in space, cooling and overall power consumptions in the headends; furthermore, with a new solution powering its DOCSIS 3.1 network and 1.2GHz upgrades, the company can compete much more effectively with the incumbent operator in Denmark.