Cable – An Infrastructure with Many Possibilities
The cable TV network provides Germany with an infrastructure that is ideally suited for the transport of radio signals and other large volumes of data.
The establishment of the network dates back to the year 1982, when Deutsche Bundespost started to supply Germany with almost nationwide broadband cable. This formed the basis for a powerful and reliable network with impressive performance features.
A few statistics on the network in the subscriber area of Kabel Deutschland (as of March 2007):
Overview
million households connected to cable
million household network transfer points
digital channels (of which approx. 180 currently in use)
The cable network in Germany is divided into four network levels. Network Levels 1 and 2 transport signals from broadcasters to regional distribution networks. Network Level 3 reaches to the transfer points outside of the subscriber`s home. Network Level 4 is the portion of the network from the transfer point to the cable jack in the subscriber`s home.
Kabel Deutschland operates Network Level 3 in 13 states in Germany and in these regions also supplies approx. one third of the customers directly, i.e. on Network Level 4. The other household networks are operated by cable service companies and housing associations that typically purchase TV and radio signals from Kabel Deutschland for their customers.
Currently Kabel Deutschland has upgraded some 11 million homes passed for its triple play products – television, Internet and telephony all from one source. By the end of fiscal year 2008/2009 Kabel Internet and Kabel Phone will be available for up to 90 percent of all approx. 15 million Kabel Deutschland’s homes passed.