Comcast begins national rollout of DOCSIS 3.1 gateways

Comcast has commenced the national deployment of its xFi Advanced Gateway, leasing the DOCSIS 3.1-capable device in the nearly 75% of its footprint for which it has already deployed DOCSIS 3.1 services.

Comcast will lease the device, formerly known as the XB6, for $10 a month—comparable to what it charges for DOCSIS 3.0 gateways.

The xFi gateway will support xFi, the cloud-based Wi-Fi management system Comcast rolled out earlier this year. 

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Comcast engineered the device. But as Multichannel News reported earlier, has commissioned two vendors to create separate versions: Arris will build one using Intel silicone, while Technicolor will manufacture another using Broadcom chips. 

The new gateway will  have a 160 MHz-capable 8x8 Wi-Fi antenna array, Mu-MiMo (Multi-user, Multi-input, Multi-output) technology, and a combination of specialized IoT radios.

“Starting with the basics, the xFi Advanced Gateway is designed to support Gigabit speeds over Wi-Fi,” said Fraser Stirling, senior VP of devices and AI systems for Comcast, in a statement. “While there are currently no mass-market Wi-Fi connected devices capable of receiving Gig speeds over Wi-Fi, those devices are coming. In the meantime, the power of the xFi Advanced Gateway delivers ultimate performance to your connected home.”