Cisco REMOTY PHY Device 2X2 Node Split

The Cisco Remote PHY Model 220 2x2 Remote Phy Device (RPD) module for the GS7000 BAU node enables customers to prepare their networks for the future with higher bandwidth per subscriber.

An extension of the Modular Headend Architecture (MHA), MHAv2 splits Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) functions so that Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP) core and physical-layer functions can run separately, in different locations. CCAP core routing can run out of larger hubs (or even cloud CMTS instances in a data center), while Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (ODFM) modulation gets pushed out to Remote PHY Devices (RPDs) located nearer to subscribers.

Remote PHY is the product of cable operators asking the industry to help them overcome the limitations of analog fiber and break through the Hybrid-Fiber Coaxial (HFC) bottleneck. In its most basic form, Remote PHY unlocks major bandwidth increases in existing access networks. But it also enables "fiber-deep" architectures that push digital fiber out much closer to homes. Ultimately, Remote PHY helps cable operators deliver capacity and Gigabit service tiers on par with any pure-fiber competitor, at a fraction of the cost of ripping and replacing the existing HFC plant.

With Remote PHY, you can deploy fewer sophisticated CCAP routing platforms, connected to many smaller-footprint, less expensive RPDs. You don't have to run a large number of full-featured I-CMTS platforms at every hub, consuming huge amounts of space and power as you scale, and requiring advanced onsite expertise to deploy and maintain. You can consolidate CCAP core functions to larger hubs or data centers and push digital fiber deeper into your access network - in some cases, all the way to the node. You only have to worry about converting to analog HFC for the last few hundred feet to the residence. And you can dramatically boost bandwidth to every home.

The Cisco Remote PHY model 220 RPD has been integrated with the Cisco Smart PHY deployment automation software. Cisco Smart PHY deployment automation software is a micro-service-based software tool that enables full automation for provisioning, configuration, and maintenance of standards-based RPDs, shelves, and Cisco RPHY cores.