Comstar-UTS is to unify the technologies used by its regional networks in Russia.
According to CNews, the company has presented a modernisation plan for the networks, which currently have some 2 million cable TV and 400,000 broadband subscribers.
As of last year, of the 2.13 million homes able to receive broadband, 49% could do so through DOCSIS, 29% Ethernet and 22% ADSL technologies.
Following this year, however, Comstar-UTS aims to make Ethernet (FTTB) the main access technology, covering 72% of 3.1 million homes passed. DOCSIS will meanwhile fall to 12% and ADSL to 16%.
There will be a major shift from HFC to FTTB in the delivery of digital TV services: the current percentage of HFC (69%) and FTTB (17%) will change to 44% and 48% respectively after this year.
Furthermore, DVB-C rather than IPTV will be the favoured access technology for standard cable services, principally due to the higher cost of IPTV receivers, and MMDS will gradually be phased out.
