The German BK network: An overview in pictures Munich, June 2005
The main elements of a typical German CATV network Most of the network elements are located in the network level 3 master head-end ( BKVtSt ) head-end ( übk ) hub ( bbk ) street amplifier ( VrP ) home connect. point ( HÜP ) In-house network 1 / metropolitain area or per several cities Content is received from satellite TV signal is formed and distributed to head-ends 1 / city Local channels are added Amplifies and distributes signal to hubs 1 / part of city or per town Amplifies and distributes signal into coax distribution network (main streets) Amplifies signal approx. every 320m 1 / home Approx. 8 million HÜPs in Germany End of level 3 network Start of level 4 inhouse network Coax distribution network inside houses Approx. 27million households that are reachable by cable networks Satellite * Amplifier Up-link radio station TV-Studio TV-tower + master head-end head-end ( übk ) Coax- or fibre network (Vk-Netz) Hub ( bbk ) Coax line network (A-, B-, C- und D- Lines) Home connection point (HÜP) Network level 1 (TV studios) Network level 2 (Regional distribution network) Network level 3 (Local distribution network, approx. 500,000 km of coax cable) Network level 4 (In-House network) *Radio links are currently being replaced by optical fiber connections Seite 1
In a coax cable, frequencies between 5MHz and approx. 1000MHz (=1GHz) can be transmitted Currently, in a standard, non-upgraded network, TV and radio signals are being broadcasted between 47MHz and 470MHz in the framework of the PAL standard The spectrum is organized in bands, like SU (special lower band), SO (special upper band) or the hyperband In order to extend the spectrum beyond the standard limit of 470MHz, the network has to be upgraded: - To extend the spectrum until 606MHz, an exchchange of street amplifiers has to be performed - To extend the spectrum until 862MHz, some of passive splitters and buried taps have to be exchanged To enable interactivity (e.g. high speed internet, telephony), amplifiers modules for two-way transmission of signals have to be added, i.e. street amplifiers cabinets have to be modified Down stream 5 10 Up stream A Bd 65 I D A A A FM SU Bd III SO Radio 30 47 65 80 108 111 174 230 A D A/D D Hyperband Band IV 300 302 470 606 Currently used spectrum (in non-upgraded networks) A Analog channels (PAL) D Band V f [MHz] 862 Only if network upgraded Netw ork monitoring/management D Digital channels (QAM) (Upgraded part: data / Digital TV) Seite 2
Frequency spectrum and channel allocation Frequency spectrum of CATV signal Channel allocation of CATV signal (Example: Munich) Band Kanal Frequ. [MHz] A / D Beispiel Kanalbelegung München 11/2004 Every TV channel is 7MHz and 8MHz wide, respectively*. An analogue TV channel transmits one PAL program. A digital TV channel transmits 8-12 digital programs ( streams ) 47 65 80 108 111 174 230 A D A A A FM Bd 65 I SU Bd III SO Radio Band I-II 47-68 Band I-II K02 47-54 Analog (PAL) NEUN LIVE K03 54-61 Analog (PAL) TV 5 (franz.) K04 61-68 Analog (PAL) TRT-Intern. (türk.) UKW 88-108 UKW UKW Radiokanäle SU / USB 111-174 Unteres Sonderband S02 111-118 Digital TV Kabel Digital Program of Kabel Deutschland S03 118-125 Digital TV Kabel Digital Program of Kabel Deutschland S04 125-132 Analog (PAL) ORF 2 - Salzburg S05 132-139 Analog (PAL) TELE 5 S06 139-146 Analog (PAL) AFK Ferns. München / AG Behinderte /cityinfo tv S07 146-153 Analog (PAL) TV München S08 153-160 Analog (PAL) RTL 2 S09 160-167 Analog (PAL) Home Shopping Europe S10 167-174 Analog (PAL) Bayern Journal / RTL Band III 174-230 Band III K05 174-181 Analog (PAL) ARD (BR) K06 181-188 Analog (PAL) Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen K07 188-195 Analog (PAL) ProSieben K08 195-202 Analog (PAL) Bayern Journal / SAT.1 K09 202-209 Analog (PAL) KABEL 1 K10 209-216 Analog (PAL) Kinderkanal / MTV2 -The Pop Channel K11 216-223 Analog (PAL) DSF (dt. Sportfernsehen) K12 223-230 Analog (PAL) n-tv SO / OSB 230-300 Oberes Sonderband S11 230-237 Analog (PAL) MTV CENTRAL S12 237-244 Analog (PAL) VOX S13 244-251 Analog (PAL) Bay. Fernsehen - Altbayern+Schwaben S14 251-258 Analog (PAL) EUROSPORT / VIVA PLUS S15 258-265 Analog (PAL) VIVA S16 265-272 Analog (PAL) 3sat S17 272-279 Analog (PAL) WDR FERNSEHEN S18 279-286 Analog (PAL) Super RTL S19 286-293 Analog (PAL) Phoenix S20 293-300 Analog (PAL) euronews Analogue Digital 300 302 470 Hyperband A D f [MHz] Hyperband 302-446 Hyperband S21 302-310 Digital (*) BR-alpha S22 310-318 Digital (*) NDR Nordmagazin S23 318-326 Digital (*) CNN Intern. (engl.) S24 326-334 Digital (*) N24 S25 334-342 Digital (*) NBC (engl.) / arte S26 342-350 Digital Kabel Digital Program of Kabel Deutschland S27 350-358 Digital Premiere 1 S28 358-366 Digital Premiere 2 S29 366-374 Digital Premiere 3 S30 374-382 Digital Premiere 4 S31 382-390 Digital Premiere 5 S32 390-398 Digital ZDF.v ision S33 398-406 Digital International (Nutzung durch NE3) S34 406-414 Digital ARD digital S35 414-422 Digital (*) HOT / QVC S36 422-430 Digital ARD digital S37 430-438 Digital International (Nutzung durch NE3) S38 438-446 Digital Kabel Digital Program of Kabel Deutschland S39 446-454 Digital frei S40 454-462 Digital frei S41 462-470 Digital Kabel Digital Program of Kabel Deutschland * Currently used for transmission of analogue channels * 7 MHz: 47-300MHz; 8MHz: above 300MHz Source: KDG, Solon Seite 3
The master head-end at the Munich TV tower The master head-end on the TV Tower, 155m above ground: Satellite antennas receiving the signals Cables from antennas to the equipment of the master head-end The master head-end: processing the signals and packaging them Cable to amplifier node Amplifier node Verteiler station ( bbk ) Verstärker Koaxialkabelnetz (A -, B -, C - und D - Linien) Coax line The head-end in the basement of the TV tower Amplification of signals, Cables to hubs, leaving the head-end Cable to DIAMANT system in the tower (leaving to other, more distant hubs) Seite 4
Satellite antennas receive the TV signals Verstärker Location: master head-end (TV tower) Verteiler station ( bbk ) Koaxialkabelnetz (A -, B -, C - und D - Linien) Demodulation into TVchannels Forming the final* signal by multiplexing the channels Amplifiying and transmitting to the head-end Signals ( SAT-ZF ) * Except some local TV channels that are added later (at local head-end) Seite 5
The head-end ( übk ) serves an entire city Incoming coax-cable (from master head-end at roof/platform of TV tower) Verteiler station ( bbk ) Verstärker Koaxialkabelnetz (A -, B -, C - und D - Linien) Outgoing cables to hubs (coax cables and optical fibre lines) Seite 6
The hub serves parts of a city Incoming cables from head-end Outgoing cables, following down the streets Seite 7
Cables leaving the hub to follow down the streets Hub Cables inside hub facility Duct entry on pavement Duct with cables Seite 8
An amplifier street cabinet: The signal in coax cables has to be amplified approx. every 300m Inside a cabinet: metal box. with amplifier modules Incoming signal Outgoing signal Seite 9
A typical in-house (NE4) network serving 12 appartments NE3 NE4 1 Home connection point ( HÜP ) NE4 in-house network 2 3 Amplifier Splitter Cables to appartments (in-house wiring, here: star topology) 2 3 Number and type of modules depends on characteristics of in-house network Equipment of different suppliers is being used 1 Cable from street Seite 10
Annotations This information intends to provide an overview of the structure of a typical German BK network and its elements Some of the complex infrastructure and network technology is illustrated in a simplified way Pictures in this document are examples for typical configurations The document is based on various data sources. The pictures show typical network elements of a German level 3 network During recent months, networks have partly been optimized with respect to the structure of the network level 2. The general structure shown in this document however still remains unchanged Seite 11
Contact Dr. Philipp Geiger Solon Management Consulting GmbH & Co. KG Residenzstraße 10 80333 Munich Germany Tel. +49-89 - 2103 88-0 Fax. +49-89 - 2103 88-44 Mail: pg@solon.de Web: www.solon.de Seite 12