Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) has introduced new European form factor nodes and amplifiers for use in cable operators’ hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) networks. The new equipment includes the MPN100 modular pedestal node, the Mini Bridger Node (MBN), and the MBV3 and broadband line extender (BLE) amplifiers.
All three of the new platforms incorporate gallium nitride (GaN) technology, which Motorola Mobility asserts delivers 3 dB gain – a 2X increase in performance versus competitive platforms. The enhanced gain enables cable operators to avoid re-spacing of amplifiers when adding new subscribers as well as extend reach in greenfield applications.
Motorola says it has delivered the new platforms to Virgin Media. Virgin Media also has deployed Motorola’s new GX2-EA1000 series of transmitters, including the 1550-nm model. The Motorola EA1000 suite is designed to support such applications as full-band loading of analog and digital content as well as fiber deep multi-wavelength transmission of mixed analog and digital content or digital only.
By multiplexing EA1000 transmitters with different wavelengths onto a single fiber, operators can segment nodes in the network up to eight times with distances of up to 30 km, according to Motorola. Smaller segments can reach 40 to 60 km.
Daniel Hennessy, executive director of technical strategy and architecture at Virgin Media, said, "Continuing to evolve our HFC access network underpins Virgin Media’s market-leading entertainment and communication services. We looked hard at the marketplace for a next-generation amplifier and it quickly became clear that Motorola has an excellent portfolio in this space. Against a range of demanding timescales, Motorola stepped up with a family of advanced amplifier products that provide the right support for our network as consumer demand for next generation digital services continues to grow.”
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