RCN cable dumps analog, reclaims bandwidth for digital services

Could this be a trend? RCN is doing a hard cutover to all digital to reclaim the bandwidth used by analog signals. The downside is providing set top boxes to all analog customers.

Cable overbuilder RCN Corp. is in the process of making a hard cutover in Chicago to an all-digital cable TV service. That move will free up 80 analog channels and give it the bandwidth required to pipe in an expanded menu of high-definition channels and video-on-demand (VOD) services. (See RCN Reclaims Analog.)

Rather than recapturing a few analog channels here and there and redeploying them for digital services, RCN has made the decision in the Windy City to move its entire service portfolio to the digital domain.

“We have converted the first RCN hub and target completion in the entire Chicago market before the end of spring,” said RCN CEO and president Peter Aquino, in a statement.

RCN plans to complete the migration by April 18, according to company spokeswoman Lisa Barder.

That will give RCN extra headroom for new bandwidth-eating services. RCN said the strategy will position it to eventually offer 100 linear HDTV channels. Today, the operator offers 49 HD networks in the Chicago area, Barder says. The operator also plans to use the reclaimed spectrum to expand its VOD offering, which today offers a mix of 2,400 “free” and pay titles. (from Cable Digital News)

The cable industry as a whole has been slow to make capital improvements,and has usually only done so when the have felt competitive pressure form services like Verizon’s FIOS. We offer Third Pipe kudos to RCN for being more aggressive in updating, but we are also disappointed that no mention of setting aside any additional bandwidth for access.