 network differs greatly. Radio frequency transmitters and amplifiers use a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) scheme to deliver cable television, voice and IP traffic. The basic idea behind QAM is that by phase shifting signals at 90-degreee intervals and transmitting them simultaneously, the delivered bit rate can greatly exceed the modulation rate. Into this environment, cable providers are introducing a combination of an ISP and a CLEC, needing to manage both voice and data services side by side. At the same time, they must look forward to a future, interactive television environment. As a result, flow-through provisioning and customer self-help are two critical concepts in the cable realm. In Chapter 3, we will take a close look at cable service delivery processes and the complexities therein. OSS AND THE WEB PORTAL Earlier we discussed general expectations placed on the Internet, and looked at some models for where the Web is headed. We have also looked at most if not all of the functions OSSs encompass and examined areas where OSS functionality has been and where it can be extended to the Web. It is clear that for many reasons integration between OSS platforms and customer Web portals must take place. There are countless articles, books and conferences devoted to making the business case for building and utilizing customer Web portals, SO we will not repeat them here. The IIC industry has been slow, as compared to other industries, to adopt Web portals. IIC products are generally too complex to allow customers to Chapter 2 - A Detailed Look at OSS self-configure or create their own service bundles. Delivery of IIC products can involve many steps, including engineering tasks that slow down delivery and make customer self-help impossible. Traditionally, IICs train subject matter experts to manage their customers' technical issues, and consequently customers are rarely prepared to take on the problems by themselves. Sales functions have traditionally been performed with a "high-touch" style, as representat