Research consortium CableLabs said that six vendors successfully completed its first DOCSIS 3.1 interoperability test, which took place Dec. 1-5.
CableLabs did not disclose the names of the participants, which tested prototype cable modems, cable modem termination systems (CMTS) and various testing equipment. However, Cisco confirmed to Multichannel News that it was one of the participating vendors.
With CableLabs pledging at the SCTE Expo in September to begin certification of DOCSIS 3.1 products in the second quarter, this was an important step.
CableLabs is billing the suite of transmission standards as a vast improvement over Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) 3.0, enabling cable operators to deliver broadband speeds of up to 10 Gbps on the download side without pulling fiber to the home.
"The remarkable speed at which DOCSIS 3.1 has gone from concept, to specification, to interoperability testing demonstrates the great value of collaboration by industry stakeholders," said Phil McKinney, president and CEO of CableLabs, in a statement. "This is a great step forward toward future deployment."
"The success of this first DOCSIS 3.1 interop validates that multi-Gigabit services will soon be a reality for cable broadband customers," added Tom Lookabaugh, chief research and development officer at CableLabs. "Operators around the world can now look forward to a new generation of capabilities added to their DOCSIS based networks.
For more:
- read this CableLabs press release
- read this Light Reading story
- read this Multichannel News story
Related links:
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