- Harmonic’s new node lets operators deliver multi-gig broadband to low-density apartments
- Notably, they don’t have to run fiber to each unit in the building
- Harmonic’s DOCSIS-based solution is different from other MDU strategies, like Multimedia over Coax (MoCA)
When it comes to deploying broadband to multi-dwelling units (MDUs), Harmonic thinks it has just what operators need to save time and money on multi-gigabit connectivity.
The vendor unveiled SeaStar, an optical node that can deliver speeds “exceeding 8 Gbps downstream and 1.5 Gbps upstream” to up to 16 MDUs. SeaStar is connected via fiber to mini nodes installed at each individual building, those nodes connect directly to the MDU’s existing coax cabling and voilà.
The mini nodes notably work up to five kilometers away from a centralized point, Harmonic said, which can help operators avoid issues such as limited bandwidth or optical beat interference, which refers to a kind of signal degradation that happens when two or more optical transmitters with closely spaced wavelengths transmit simultaneously.
SeaStar is notable because improving infrastructure with minimal disruption is a challenge especially prevalent in older apartment buildings that have thick walls or may have been built without suitable wiring. According to Dell’Oro Group VP Jeff Heynen, Harmonic’s solution is a clean way for operators to deliver higher-speed broadband without having to run fiber to each unit in the MDU, a process that can be disruptive to tenants.
It's not Harmonic's first time targeting the broadband MDU segment. The company also created the so-called “Oyster” node that can deploy fiber and upgraded cable services to apartments and other facilities with old legacy wiring.
How’s SeaStar different? Unlike Oyster, which is designed for higher-density MDUs, SeaStar is geared toward low-density buildings. “Think smaller apartment or condominium complexes, senior living facilities and hotels,” said Heynen.
No need for fiber all at once
Operators don’t have to deploy fiber to the building, either, as Harmonic’s node can support both fiber and DOCSIS services. Harmonic actually “takes DOCSIS all the way to the individual unit,” Heynen said, “with the same management framework and telemetry offered to business and single-family home deployments.”
This MDU strategy is different from that of vendors like Nokia and InCoax, who specialize in Multimedia over Coax (MoCA) technology. In the case of MoCA, operators are required to deploy fiber to the building and then use a fiber-coax converter to do the in-building connections for each unit, he explained.
Harmonic, meanwhile, allows providers to keep using their same DOCSIS modems, set-top boxes and video distribution technology.
“Also, it provides a clean roadmap for future fiber upgrades, should the building owners want to move in that direction,” Heynen said.
Although SeaStar can connect up to 16 MDUs, they don’t have to be upgraded to fiber all at once. “The operator can do a gradual cutover from DOCSIS to fiber for each MDU,” he added.
Connecting MDUs to broadband isn't just a wireline issue - it is also a challenge for fixed wireless access (FWA) service providers. Verizon has said it’s difficult to serve everyone in a building with FWA, so it’s using millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum to address that problem.