Headend

A fiber headend is a centralized control unit where external sources for programming and data are gathered, processed, and packaged for distribution. A headend provides several access network functions, including the following:

• Remodulation
• Retiming
• Message accountability
• Contention control
• Diagnostic control
• Access to a gateway

Most headends include satellite dishes for the reception of distant signals as well as IP aggregation routers. Some headends (like those used in the cable TV industry) also house telephony equipment for providing telecommunications services to a community.

Additionally, they connect fiber-optic equipment that receives, encodes, modulates, and sends signals for telecommunications industries over a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). Headends are complex devices that can be difficult to properly house and organize. However, choosing to transmit your network over a fiber headend has its advantages:

Fiber Headend Benefits

Higher Performance

To begin with, a network that is centralized with fiber optics provides high performance at a lower cost, because it can be designed to match the bandwidth needs of most broadband distribution systems.

Fewer Maintenance Costs

In addition, fiber headends have fewer maintenance costs than other network solutions. Why? They require fewer amplifiers and less electricity.

More Adaptable

Fiber headends also have the ability to adapt to new services, such as voice, data, or video, without changing existing operational parameters.

More Reliable

Finally, when compared to CATV, a network run off fiber optics is more reliable, immune to noise, and has almost non-existent attenuation.

What Industries Use Headends?

Industries that commonly use a fiber headend include the following:

• Cable television
• Satellite communications
• Fiber optics
• Power Line Communication (PLC) substations
• Internet communications networks

The Right Enclosures for Your Network

For high-density data centers, equipment rooms, and central offices, metal enclosures can effectively boost network performance, enhance working efficiency, and reduce expenditure. This is especially true when you have a fiber headend where external sources for programming and data are gathered, processed, and packaged for distribution.

At American Products, our AP FORT™, AP INDEPENDENCE™ Multibay, AP FREEDOM#x2122; Multibay, AP INDEPENDENCE™ Single Bay, AP FREEDOM™ Single Bay, and AP LIBERTY® are built to accommodate even the most complex headends. They are designed to meet the increasing demands of tomorrow’s next-generation, fiber-optic networks and are available in multiple configurations. That way, you can choose an enclosure layout that suits any fiber cabling and connector project.

Additionally, our telecommunications shelters provide superior protection for telecom and communication equipment, defending against the ravages of changing weather, temperature, moisture, and other hazards. They meet NEMA 3R standards and are made right here in the United States. Contact us today for more information!