By Michael Eagles, UPC Broadband and Robert F. Cruickshank III, C-COR
The growth of popular video sharing sites such as YouTube, P2P file sharing applications such as Bit Torrent, and overthe- top broadband services has placed unprecedented strain upon the HFC network. Demand for the broadband pipe is growing daily and in order to ensure that all services and applications are delivered reliably, operators must plan for the traffic increase and take proactive steps to mitigate the rising demands. This paper will take a multi-pronged view of the demands placed on today's network, including a recent history traffic analysis of sample systems and projections of where networks are headed tomorrow. Additionally, the paper will investigate both hardware and software options for proactively working to meet bandwidth demands today and over the next three to five years.