CableLabs reports accelerated development of DOCSIS 3.1 gear, opens for product certification

CableLabs said it has successfully completed four equipment interoperability events (interops) related to DOCSIS 3.1 and is now open to product certification submissions for the technology. 

In a blog post written by Belal Hamzeh, director of broadband evolution for the cable-industry consortium, CableLabs reports that "excellent progress" has been made by cable modem and cable modem termination system (CMTS) vendors, along with other makers of cable network equipment, in their effort to deploy DOCSIS 3.1 into the field. 

"With the technology rapidly maturing, vendors have accelerated their product development," Hamzeh said. "Early results show that the utilization of high order DOCSIS 3.1 modulation schemes will significantly increase network efficiency."

CableLabs will conduct its next interop in September. "We expect to see product submissions for certification in the near future," Hamzeh added.

Last week, Comcast's (NASDAQ: CMCSA) Robert Howald told FierceCable that his company plans to begin market trials of DOCSIS 3.1 technology later this year.

"We're testing it this year," said Howald, VP of Comcast's network architecture . "Our intent is to scale it through our footprint through 2016. 

"We want to get it across the footprint very quickly," Howald added, noting that the company hopes to have the technology deployed across its entire U.S. network footprint in the next 2-3 years. "We're shooting for two years."

For more:
- read this CableLabs blog post

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