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NSCC Executive Summary CBG Communications, Inc. <br />• Spectrum or Bandwidth <br />Although other system characteristics described in this Executive Summary are important <br />to understand, perhaps the most important is that of system capacity or bandwidth. <br />Comcast's system, as designed and operated today, has a total usable spectrum of 5 MHz <br />to 750 MHz. Simply stated, the system is a 750 MHz system. Further defined, return (or <br />upstream) signals are transmitted between 5 MHz and 42 MHz while forward signals are <br />transmitted between 55 MHz and 750 MHz. <br />This system was considered at or near state -of -the -art when it was last upgraded in the <br />late 1990s. However, systems being upgraded today are using equipment capable of <br />between 860 MHz and 1,000 MHz (1 GHz). Although this system is not the most <br />advanced system constructed, it is consistent, in terms of bandwidth, with many systems <br />throughout the country. <br />It is difficult to describe the maximum number of channels, or services, that can be <br />provided on the subscriber network, as the bandwidth utilized for specific channels and <br />services can be determined at the system level. For instance, compression technologies <br />allow for Standard Definition digital TV channels (SD) to commonly utilize one 6 MHz <br />channel to transmit between 7 -12 SD channels. Furthermore, 2 -3 High Definition digital <br />channels occupy a one 6 MHz channel. In addition, the system is configured and used to <br />provide non -cable TV services, including telephone and Internet service which occupy a <br />portion of the system's bandwidth. <br />The system, as constructed, equipped and operated today, can provide the services <br />desired by Comcast's customers. However, as more services become available <br />(particularly high definition video programming services) and as subscribers' needs and <br />desires increase, Comcast may need to upgrade its system, depending on the length of <br />any franchise renewal term, to gain additional bandwidth in order to provide these new <br />services. Such upgrades could include using new electronic equipment to increase the <br />system capacity to 1,000 MHz (I gigahertz or 1 GHz), deploying fiber to the premises or <br />home (FTTP or FTTI -1) as well as utilizing technologies that conserve bandwidth such as <br />iii <br />16 <br />