Techno-economic analysis of a software-defined optical media contribution and distribution network

Abstract

Bringing video images from camera to screen is a complex production process involving several intermediate steps and actors. The media sector is characterized by a high need for fast and reliable data transport, between production locations, post-production facilities, broadcasters and back-up locations. The growing size of video files and the stringent network requirements for live production have given rise to a combination of transport solutions including physical transport of raw materials, transport of proxies via best-effort Internet Protocol (IP) networks and transport of live video streams via Serial Digital Interface (SDI) over microwave, satellite, leased lines or optical fiber. Due to this fast-paced evolution, media companies face high investments costs for upgrading both end devices (e.g. cameras) and network transport infrastructure. As such, the cost of maintaining and upgrading a multitude of transport networks can be prohibitive. The MECaNO project [1] proposes a lossless packet switching technology developed that can guarantee delivery deadlines in order to create a single, lossless, IP-based production system which is realized by leveraging technological advances such as the decreasing cost of optical technology and the flow-based software-defined networking (SDN) architecture. Apart from explaining the MECaNO solution, the goal of this paper is to quantify the economic impact of the proposed technological solution. The results show that the cost for the optical infrastructure (L1) remains relatively stable while the cost for L2-L3 technologies drops significantly leading to a total cost reduction of 27%.