The paper outlines a methodical evolution strategy from today's RF centric, headend-based infrastructure to a digital-centric one, taking advantage of mature Internet, cloud computing and data center technologies. It presents a phased approach, identifying incremental steps leading to the ultimate goal of an efficient delivery infrastructure, and most importantly one that is aligned with Internet and data center technologies, and henceforth is able to leverage their continued development. Each transitional step is evaluated in the context of current and expected changes in technology, products and services. For each step the advantages provided are highlighted and potential risks are noted.
A number of practical options to deploy subsets of the phases are provided, depending on the individual circumstances of an operator, such as service needs and timing, network characteristics, and risk tolerance.