Transcript Low Cost Return Path and its Impact in Indian Scenario

- Paper presentation at BES 2008 by Manav Singal
Low Cost Return Path for DTH and its Impact in Indian Scenario
Agenda
• Definition of Return Path for TV
• Need for Return Path
• Return Path Technologies for DTH
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SATMODE
Return Path through PSTN (Fixed Line Network)
Return Path through other technologies
Two-way interactive applications and their impact
Summary
Reference
Glossary
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Definition of Return Path for TV
• Return Path also called Return Channel/Back Channel provides a mechanism where
subscriber can interact with their service provider by clicking on STB remote
User Commands
User
STB Remote
Return Path
STB
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Service
Provider
Need for Return Path
• Currently DTH networks are primarily unidirectional
• Users can only interact with service provider using offline means like calling the customer
care/email/through provider’s internet website
• Return Path is required to provide two-way interactivity for Digital TV user to interact with the
service provider using STB remote
User Premise
DTH Service Provider Premise
d
war
For
Lin
k
Satellite
Forward
Link
Dish Antenna
Forward
Link
Broadcast Center
User
Comma
nds
STB for DTH
User
TV
Current DTH Setup
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Return Path Technologies for DTH-SATMODE
• SATMODE is Satellite Communication allowing user to send data over the satellite to the DTH
service provider
• A small interactive LNB (iLNB) on the satellite dish and a small add-on to the DTH set-top box
are the only additional components required at the user end for providing always-on
connectivity
SATMODE System (Courtesy Newtec)
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SATMODE Details
SATMODE Return Path Technical Features
Capacity planning for SATMODE
The SATMODE return link is highly programmable and has the following main
technical features:
• continuous phase modulation (GMSK, MSK and quaternary MSK are
supported),
• symbol rate from 4 k symbols/s to 128 k symbols/s
• MF-TDMA burst transmission
• performing channel coding for data protection (supports several types of
turbo-coding and coding rates)
• code rates ½ to 5/6
• Medium Access Protocol (MAC) = Aloha protocol, with selective repeat
retransmission
• MAC packet size of 66 bytes
• MAC protocol is transparent to network layer protocols
• rain fade mitigation by adaptive rate and coding, algorithm resides in terminal
• compatible with transmission in Ka band, Ku band or other bands
• low transmit powers (100 to 300mW)
• small antennas (~60cm)
The SATMODE hub station can be scaled according to
the number of users in the networks, by adding
capacity blocks. These capacity blocks are called
‘blades’.
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Maximum traffic per blade
50 Mbps
Maximum number of blades per
Hub
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Maximum traffic per hub
400 Mbps
Number of addressable viewers
up to 70 Million
Uplink bandwidth per blade
up to 180 MHz
Voting capacity per blade
6 Million votes per minute
SMS messaging
1 Million messages per minute
Return Path Technologies for DTH-PSTN
• In this system return path is provided through PSTN
• STB at user end needs to have a PSTN modem
User Premise
DTH Service Provider Premise
a
rw
Fo
L
rd
ink
Forward
Satellite
Link
Dish Antenna
Forward
Link
Broadcast Center
User
Comma
nds
Return Path
HTTP
Return Path
STB with PSTN
Modem
Interactive
Application
Server
Router
User
PSTN
Network
Subscriber
Authentication
and Authorization
TV
Interactive
Subscriber
Management
System
Return Path through PSTN
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Billing
System
CRM
Internet
for Third
Party
connecti
Firewall
on
Return Path Technologies for DTH-PSTN-Details
Return Path connection mechanism
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Return Path Capacity Planning Parameters
STB can have internal PSTN modem or connected to external
modem through RS232C serial interface
The modem will connect with DTH service provider through PSTN
dial up connection
The uplink speed of up to 33.6 kbps and download speed of up to
56 kbps can be supported (V.90 modem)
STB will manage the PSTN modem connection and be configured
for dialing telephone no. of DTH service provider
STB software has to be upgraded for providing the interactive
service through PSTN modem
Connection and disconnection to DTH service provider will be
transparent to user
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User to modem ratio which is defined as no. of subscribers
subscribed to the interactive service to the no. of modem lines
available with DTH operator
Bandwidth to user ratio this will depend on the internet
connection bandwidth provided to interactive user of DTH
service provider and type of user request
Interactive server throughput which will depend on the user
load for synchronous services and server processing power
Average duration of call which will depend on type of user
request
Total No. of people using interactive services in an area
Other Return Path Technologies for DTH
• Return Channel through Mobile Networks
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Return channel though mobile network will be similar to the PSTN network with difference of mobile
handset may act as a modem connected to STB using standard RS 232 C interface and mobile
network instead of PSTN network
• Return Channel through DSL or Wireless Data Cards
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Return channel through DSL or Wireless Data Cards (EDGE/CDMA 2000) is not considered as part of
this presentation as they are currently not supported in DTH STB as per Indian Standard specification
Existing STB internal memory and processing power has to be increased if they have to support higher
data access speed and voice packets
These types of STBs are becoming popular in European and North American market and they will be
supported in India in near future
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Two-way interactive applications and their impact-1
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Voting for reality shows
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Currently Tele-voting is happening through PSTN/Mobile/SMS/Internet in India
If DTH service provider can handle the Tele-voting then it can take lot of share from
telecom providers and also they can offer discounts to user for casting vote through
this medium
User has to vote using their STB remote and the vote will be casted to the content
provider as an asynchronous process with voting charge put on the monthly rental
User will be benefited in terms of ease of casting and discount on voting charges
Tele-voting
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Ordering for movies, e-learning modules, online games and other audio-visual
content on the fly
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This will involve ordering of on-demand content and payment authorization by user
for the amount to be charged on user account
User will select the content to be ordered on TV and order the same through STB
remote by providing the user ID and password
Once the authorization is done from DTH provider the user will be able to view
unscrambled video on-demand content
Interactive content ordering
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Two-way interactive applications and their impact-2
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e-billing, payments and settlements, recharging of account through providing
credit/debit/cash card information
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This will involve connecting to DTH service provider website through STB remote and
viewing the bill on TV
User will be able to make payment by filling in credit/debit/cash card information
using STB remote
This will help in reducing DTH provider’s customer care and point of sale system cost
and provide convenience to user
E-billing/Payment
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Messaging to customer care
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This will be an asynchronous short messaging facility provided on TV for reporting
problem or query related with DTH
Tele-messaging
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T-Banking an alternate to internet banking
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This service involves banking though TV e.g. account balance, e-bill payment, etransfer, etc
This service has lot of potential especially with more penetration of TV as compared
to Internet and majority of population are not tech savvy
T-Banking
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Two-way interactive applications and their impact-3
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T-Commerce or virtual mall
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This service will provide new dimension to home shopping networks and user will be
able to respond dynamically for product design through online polling
User will be able to order the products on TV through STB remote
T-Commerce/Shopping
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Distance education
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Interactivity in distance learning with online user response to tutor will make it more
effective
Students can participate in asking online questions using STB remote, they can chat
with tutor to repeat or explain the topic in more detail
DTH provider can partner in these distance learning programs and provide this as
value added service for tutor, educational institution and students
Tele-education with interactivity
Disaster management
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This is applicable for SATMODE based communication where user can send the
emergency message through STB to DTH provider and communicate their location
and emergency when PSTN lines are down
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Summary
• India is the third largest TV market globally of which 1 per cent customer base is digital TV
(DTH and CAS)
• Hence there is lot of potential for both DTH and CAS providers to grow
• The differentiator will be the value for money, innovative services and enhancing customer
experience
• Interactive education, Tele-voting, Messaging, T-banking and T-commerce are few of the
services which hold lot of potential in this video-crazed society of India
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Reference
• SATMODE
is copyright of European Space Agency and its partner companies
http://telecom.esa.int/telecom/www/object/index.cfm?fobjectid=11843
http://www.newtec.be/index.php?id=281
• DVB Standards website http://www.dvb.org/
• Bureau of Indian Standard: Digital Set Top Box for Direct-to-Home (DTH) Services –
Specification http://www.bis.org.in/bis/html/15377.html
• DVB ETS 300 801 standard: Interaction channel through Public Switched Telecommunications
Network (PSTN) /Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDN)
• DVB ETS 301 195 standard: Interaction channel through the Global System for Mobile
communications (GSM)
• DVB ETSI EN 301 790 standard: Interaction channel for satellite distribution system
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Glossary
DTH: Direct to Home Television through Dish Antenna
DTH Service Provider/Provider/Operator: A company which provides the DTH service
CAS: Conditional Access System through cable TV
STB: Set-top box or receiver required to decode the signals for viewing on TV
TRAI: Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India is the independent regulator established by the Government of India to regulate the
telecommunications business in India.
HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol is a communications protocol used to transfer or convey information on intranets and the World Wide Web
(Internet)
PAP: Password Authentication Protocol, sometimes abbreviated PAP, is a simple authentication protocol used to authenticate a user to a network
access server used for example by internet service providers
CHAP: In computing, the Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) authenticates a user or network host to an authenticating entity
DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a protocol used by networked devices (clients) to obtain various parameters necessary for the
clients to operate in an Internet Protocol (IP) network
DVB: DVB, short for Digital Video Broadcasting, is a suite of internationally accepted open standards for digital television
PSTN: Public switched telephone network (PSTN) is the network of the world's public circuit-switched telephone networks, in much the same way that
the Internet is the network of the world's public IP-based packet-switched networks
LNB: A low-noise block converter (LNB, for low-noise block, or sometimes LNC, for low-noise converter) is used in communications satellite (usually
broadcast satellite) reception (downlink). The LNB is usually affixed either in or on the satellite dish
Ku Band: The Ku band (pronounced "kay-yoo") is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies
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Thank You
email: [email protected]
website: http://www.infosys.com