IPTV is a demanding service that poses challenges for existing network infrastructures. Using SMARTPACK PBT and T-MPLS, these challenges can be overcome.

IPTV is a key component of many Triple-Play Residential Services. However, IPTV is a different type of packet service demanding a challenging comination of high-bandwidth with high levels of quality. This poses a challenge to current network infrastuctures.

Networks based on circuit-switching technology such as SONET/SDH can provide the quality of service required, but will have difficulty in scaling to meet bandwidth demand. Packet based networks can scale, but often provide only best effort service delivery under high contention.

One possible solution is Connection Oriented Packet Networks based on PBT/PBB-TE and T-MPLS. These technologies combine the scalability and flexibility of packet networks with the quality, reliability and resiliency associated with SONET/SDH:

• End-to-end tunnels
• Provisioned and traffic engineered using a central management system
• End-to-end monitoring using Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) packets
• End-to-end sub-50 msec protection switching to a pre-defined backup tunnel

Using SMARTPACK PBT and SMARTPACK T-MPLS, it is possible to provide a robust distribution network for IPTV with guaranteed quality of service, without compromising other services that might be sharing the same network.