Nokia and WOW! deploy cable industry's first virtualized Distributed Access Architecture

• Nokia's Unified Cable Access solution boosts the WOW! network, enabling gigabit services to meet the growing ultra-broadband needs

• Deal shows growing momentum for Nokia's Gainspeed product family for cable access

October 10, 2017

Chicago, US - Nokia and WOW! (NYSE: WOW), one of the United States' leading broadband providers, today announced the industry's first commercial virtualized Distributed Access Architecture (vDAA) deployment. Nokia's Unified Cable Access solution will significantly increase the capacity of WOW!'s existing HFC (Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial) network, helping the broadband provider meet exploding bandwidth demands of subscribers, adapt to the evolving ways they consume multimedia content and deliver an even better internet experience.

The cable MSO market is on the cusp of a change that will require a new approach to building access networks, one that can more effectively scale to meet the growth of IP video and high-speed data demands. Traditional HFC networks - originally designed to carry broadcast analog video - are being overwhelmed by traffic from IP video, high-speed data services, cloud computing and other business applications. Facing 40-60 percent average annual compound growth in data capacity requirements, cable operators are seeking new ways to cope with the increasing bandwidth demands being placed on their HFC networks.

Nokia's unified cable access solution addresses these challenges, providing a fully distributed and virtualized access architecture that can increase the capacity of existing HFC infrastructures while simultaneously eliminating cable-specific hardware from headends and hubs, significantly reducing space and power requirements. The architecture enables Multiple System Operators (MSOs) to rapidly deploy new services and cost-effectively migrate their networks to a software-driven, all-IP architecture.

WOW! will deploy Nokia's Unified Cable Access solution, including the Gainspeed Controller, Gainspeed SC-2D Access Node and Gainspeed Video Engine, to support rapid network expansion as the company continues to bring services to new communities and increase performance for subscribers, ensuring a better internet experience. Once the network is fully deployed, WOW! will be able to effectively eliminate the CMTS/CCAP as a physical box and replace their analog optical transmission with 10Gbps Ethernet.

This network transformation will enable WOW! to drastically reduce operating expenses while providing the architecture needed to deliver multi-gigabit services to customers using their existing coaxial cable. In deploying the Unified Cable Access solution and virtualized Distributed Access Architecture (vDAA), WOW! is taking a leadership position and demonstrating how innovation can meet the ever-growing and changing needs of customers.

Cash Hagen, chief operations officer of WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone , said:

"The Nokia virtualized DAA is a groundbreaking technology that enables us to expand our network faster, deploy services more easily and provide the best internet experience for our customers. As the first to deploy the technology in our network, we are ready to lead the way in providing a new solution to meet increasing bandwidth demands."

Federico Guillén, president of Nokia's Fixed Networks Business Group, said:

"We are excited to be partnering with an innovative cable company like WOW! They were the first in the industry to see the potential of virtual DAA and are now the first to deploy it. Nokia's vDAA approach provides cable MSOs with a cost-efficient upgrade path for their existing DOCSIS networks, delivering the added capacity required while simultaneously simplifying network operations and laying the groundwork for an all-fiber, all-IP network.

Did you know

• Virtualized DAA provides the most scalable, cost-effective and flexible cable access solution, and it can be tailored to each operator's distinct needs and IP strategy. The vDAA migrates today's headend from RF to digital and enables operators to deploy an all-IP, all-Ethernet system from the headend to the node. By completely digitizing the hub, vDAA does away with the physical CCAP/CMTS altogethe

• In 2016 Nokia acquired Gainspeed, a US-based start-up specializing in DAA (Distributed Access Architecture) solutions and virtualization for the cable industry

About WOW!

WOW! is one of the nation's leading broadband providers, serving residential, business and wholesale customers in Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland and the Southeast. With an expansive portfolio of advanced services including high-speed Internet, data, voice, cloud and cable television services, the company is dedicated to delighting customers with friendly, quality service at affordable prices.