Multi-Gig DOCSIS 3.1

The big news from CableLabs last week was that the smart people there are working on symmetrical multi-gigabit version of DOCSIS 3.1—“Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1,” they’re calling it -- that can deliver upstream and downstream speeds of up to 10 gigs over existing 1GHz HFC networks. 

We’ll leave the technical details to Belal Hamzeh and Dan Rice, who authored a blog on the breakthrough, but from where we sit, technology breakthroughs that improve cable’s competitive position against would-be challengers are good for all of us in the industry.

We’ve opined before that cable operators will have the advantage in an Internet of Things world, where smart devices are connected through STBs or other broadband hubs in the home.  It’s our belief that cable’s established relationships with customers gives the industry a leg up against competitors who must go through the time and expense of building networks, attracting customers and generating revenue.

Cable has maintained its leadership in part because how operators and vendors have met changing customer needs by leveraging the flexibility of the industry’s existing HFC plant.  Like the advanced services and 4K set-top boxes that our customers already are bringing to market, Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1 will help the industry compete for subscriber loyalty in the years ahead.