Developing a Holistic Testing Strategy for Ensuring a Successful IPTV Deployment

Internet Protocol television (IPTV) represents the next generation of digital, IP-based video services. IPTV, including multicast (broadcast) video and unicast (video-on-demand) services, are part of the triple-play bundle of voice, video and broadband data services that are being deployed on a converged, IP-based network infrastructure. One key aspect of this new technology requires a more formalized approach: pre-deployment testing of IPTV and associated triple play services. A comprehensive IPTV testing strategy must be developed that includes not only network-level quality of service, but quality of service from the perspective of application-level delivery.

This paper offers a systematic approach to testing an IPTV transport infrastructure in its early and pre-deployment stages. The paper also highlights several of the challenges involved and explains how an overall pre-deployment testing strategy can translate into a successful in-service deployment.