Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification(DOCSIS), developed by CableLabs and approved by the ITU, defines interface requirements for cable modems involved in high-speed data distribution (both MPEG and IP data) over cable television system networks. Other devices that recognize and support the DOCSIS standard include HDTVs and Web enabled set-top boxes for regular televisions.
There are two key components in the DOCSIS architecture: Cable Modem (CM) which is located at the customer premise, and Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS), which is located at the headend of service providers and used to aggregate traffic from multiple Cable Modems and then communicate with the backbone network. DOCSIS specifies modulation schemes and the protocol for exchanging bidirectional signals between these two components over cable.
There are three versions of DOCSIS implemented and deployed now:
DOCSIS 1.0 - High Speed Internet Access. Key features: Downstream traffic transfer rates between 27 and 36 Mbps over a radio frequency (RF) path in the 50 MHz to 750+ MHz range, and upstream traffic transfer rates between 320 Kbps and 10 Mbps (Average 5 Mbps) over a RF path between 5 and 42 MHz. But, because data over cable travels on a shared loop, individuals will see transfer rates drop as more users gain access.
DOCSIS 1.1 - Data, Voice, Gaming and Streaming. Key features: DOSCIS 1.1 is interoperable with DOCSIS 1.0. It enhanced QoS for multiple services such as voice and streaming; Improved security over DOCSIS 1.0; and more robust upstream data transmission (average 10 Mbps).
DOCSIS 2.0 - Added capacity for symmetric services by operating at 64 QAM and having new 6.4 MHz wide channel. It increased bandwidth for IP traffic by using enhanced modulation and improved error correction. The result for upstream transmission is 30 Mbps, which is 3 times better than DOCSIS 1.1 and 6 times than DOSCIS 1.0. DOSCIS 2.0 is interoperable and backward compatible with DOCSIS 1.x.
The latest DOCSIS specification eDOCSIS has been published to the industry. eDOCSIS stands for embedded DOCSIS, which would provide a subordinate function at the core chip level to the host device. And, rather than leveraging a home networking protocol, an eDOCSIS device would feed directly into a cable network’s DOCSIS channel. eDOCSIS is intended to solve end device (and traffic) management, configuration and security issues to significantly reduce cost in the service operation and to improve speed and quality of end customer services.
source: javvin
Asta-Net is the next cable TV operator which introduces DOCSIS 3.0 I-CMTS in cooperation with VECTOR.
The DOCSIS 3.0 I-CMTS data transmission system allows offering the Internet access services with data speed higher than 100 Mbit/s. It also makes possible to use the IP protocol for video transmission (IPTV services). The new system reduces the operational costs of cable TV operators by the power reduction and increases efficiency and reliability of the solution. It reduces the cost per each Mb of the network traffic.
Astra-Net has appreciated the advantages of DOCSIS 3.0. The company has been present in the Wielkopolska district since 1989. The company offers services in the area of cable TV, broadband Internet access, digital TV and telephony. The offered products have the highest quality and are based on the latest technological solutions responding for increasing customer needs.
“The deployment of the DOCSIS 3.0 system will allow us to offer fast data transmission services up to 200 Mbit/s and to broaden our offer with new services responding for needs of more and more demanding customers. Our competitiveness will be higher thanks to the deployed system. The reduction of the transmission cost is also very important for us, as well as the flexibility of downstream and upstream configuration”, said Mr. Zbigniew Ryczek, the President of the Astra-Net board of directors.
The DOCSIS 3.0 I-CMTS fast data transmission system arouses interest of cable operators offering TV, data and telephone services. VECTOR will be informing about the system introduction by the next cable operators.
source: VECTOR
While DOCSIS 3.0 offers more than four times the downstream and upstream data throughput, it is far more complex to deploy. Therefore, the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” has never been truer. Planning for DOCSIS 3.0 now is imperative to mitigate potential issues when it’s finally deployed. We must understand and address potential issues for timely deployments as well as economical reasons.
We need to add more downstream capacity in the form of DOCSIS 3.0, and it’s time now to consider upgrading. DOCSIS 3.0 uses a technique called channel bonding to unite multiple downstream channels to enable a single DOCSIS 3.0 modem to get four or more times the downstream throughput that is available in a DOCSIS 2.0 system. Bonding in DOCSIS 3.0 is logical; data being transmitted is spread among several individual channels. The “haystacks” aren’t bonded into one gigantic channel.
With Verizon’s FiOS menacing the market share of cable operators, DOCSIS 3.0 has come to the rescue. DOCSIS 3.0 offers greater than four times the downstream and upstream data throughput than prior DOCSIS versions. This directly feeds into the business case for many cable operators to compete with FiOS and to improve efficiency. Upgrading to DOCSIS 3.0 is the only way to offer higher data rates than what DOCSIS 2.0 can provide. (DOCSIS 3.0 = >150 Mbps, while DOCSIS 2.0 = ~37 Mbps).
DOCSIS 3.0 downstream channel bonding is being deployed today. While North America is just getting started (excluding Canada), Asian countries have deployed more than half a million downstream bonding modems in the last few years.source: cable360.net
Now that the incumbent has been dumped from the National Broadband Network process, it’s forced the Telco to rethink their strategy and it’s through this that another Telstra Broadband revelation has emerged. Sol Trujillo, Telstra’s CEO, told a Citigroup EMT conference recently that Telstra is now capable of rolling out DOCSIS 3.0 technology that could deliver their Cable Broadband customers a staggering 100 Mbps broadband speed. WoW! Not only could they deliver 100Mbps high speed broadband connectivity, but using this technology Telstra could match the Broadband speed of the upcoming NBN. On top of this they could also roll out this 100Mbps network upgrade faster than any competitor could instill their own.
When it was revealed that Telstra held back the activation of hundreds of ADSL2 DSLAM Exchanges across Australia in 2008, many people where left bewildered. One one hand it was very disappointing to learn that Telstra was basically holding back the access of High Speed Broadband to thousands of Australians and therefore holding back potential economic growth. Then again, Telstra, as per usual, makes business decisions based on the best intentions of their shareholders. Sour grapes or smart business?
This technology basically means that Telstra could compete with, if not exceed, the speeds in which the new NBN technology is likely to bring. Of course Telstra’s DOCSIS 3.0 technology integration would be limited to major metropolitan areas where Telstra’s existing HFC network already exists, however this is still a very large chunk of Australia’s population. So when can we expect this to happen? Once again, it sounds like Telstra are going to hold back until they are forced to do so by competitive pressure.
source: techhub.com.au
Comcast Corp announced that it is now rolling out DOCSIS 3.0 “wideband” internet service for its subscribers, which will increase maximum line speed to 50 Mbps.
Current DOCSIS 2.0 speeds top out at around 38 Mbps for downstream service, per channel. DOCSIS 3.0 allows ISPs to bond multiple channels into a single connection, allowing for up to an eight-fold increase in speed – up to 300 Mbps in the U.S. and 400 Mbps in Europe. Furthermore, the new specification adds full support for IPv6.
Wideband service will be available to subscribers under two different prices: $62.95 or $139.95 a month for residential customers, and $99.95 or $189.95 a month for businesses. The higher priced “Extreme 50” service offers speeds of up to 50 Mbps downstream/ 10 Mbps upstream, while “Ultra” service offers half the bandwidth for half the price.
The deployment starts with a handful of markets – New England, Philadelphia, and New Jersey – but should be available in the top 10 markets nationwide by the end of the year.
source: reviewlab.net
Anadigics Inc. has released an RF front-end chipset consisting of the ARA2017 programmable gain upstream amplifier and the AIT1061 integrated wideband data tuner. Suitable for cable modems designed to meet the new DOCSIS 3.0 standard, Anadigics claims ARA2017, the first upstream amp available for Docsis 3.0, while AIT1061, the smallest form factor (6-by-6-by-1mm) of any current Docsis 3.0 tuner.
ARA2017 delivers output power levels of 64dBmV with very low (-55dBc) harmonic distortion and output noise levels as low as -53.8dBmV. The ARA2017 form factor is a 28-pin QFN 5-by-5-by-1mm package.
The wide capture bandwidth of the AIT1061 tuner enables the simultaneous reception of multiple channels and the linearity of both components in the chipset preserves the integrity of each channel. The ARA2017 upstream amplifier’s high output power capability and low voltage transients also meet the new standard’s specs for power output.
The AIT1061 includes all the functions of a double-conversion wideband data tuner and integrates up-converter, down-converter, VCO, synthesiser, IF amplifier, RF gain control and IF gain control. AIT1061 maintains exceptional linearity over wide RF input and IF capture bandwidths to accommodate multi-channel operation.
Docsis 3.0 enables downstream data rates of 160Mbps and upstream rates of 120Mbps, which represent 4x the speed of today’s cable modem networks. Fast enough for IPTV service, these speeds are achieved by “bonding” together multiple data channels for higher throughput.
It also features high gain and low noise figure. The AIT1061 operates from a single 5V source, eliminating the need for a second power supply.
source: eetindia.co.in
Microtune’s Dedicated DOCSIS(R) 3.0 Wideband Tuner Breaks the 160 Mbps Barrier in Cable Modems
The MT2170 tuner offers the equivalent functionality of four DOCSIS 2.0 digital tuners in a highly integrated miniature package, shrinking the tuner footprint and reducing the power consumption by approximately 75% compared to pre-DOCSIS 3.0 multi-tuner solutions. Equally important, the MT2170 significantly reduces the radio frequency (RF) bill of materials costs.
o Microtune’s new DOCSIS 3.0 tuner enables a wider (100 MHz) and faster (160 Mbps) pipeline into the home, dramatically increasing cable modem transmission speeds and flexibility
o New tuner offers the equivalent functionality of four DOCSIS 2.0 tuners, shrinking RF footprint by 75%, cutting power consumption by 75% and significantly reducing BOM costs for DOCSIS 3.0 cable equipment manufacturers
When integrated into cable modems or video-over-IP set-top boxes, the MT2170 delivers speeds greater than 160 Mbps. This enhanced throughput will permit cable operators to cost-effectively offer bandwidth-intensive digital services today, to position their products for integrated service innovations in the future, and to aggressively compete with high-powered fiber-to-the-home networks. Cable premise equipment can be designed to support fast high-definition video downloads, video file exchanges, time-shifted and place-shifted video, Internet-Protocol (IP) voice and interactive on-line gaming.
PLANO, Texas–March 12, 2007–Leveraging both its experience and expertise as a leading silicon tuner supplier to the cable market, Microtune®, Inc. (Nasdaq:TUNE) today introduced the MicroTuner(TM) MT2170, the industry’s first 1-gigahertz (GHz) input tuner based on the new CableLabs® DOCSIS® 3.0 specification. Microtune’s new tuner chip is engineered to deliver the impressive data speeds (greater than 160 Mbps) and wider bandwidth (100 MHz) demanded by cable equipment manufacturers for an easy, reliable, and cost-effective way to implement DOCSIS 3.0.
The MT2170 is the first in a new generation of Microtune products to support the DOCSIS 3.0 industry specifications. In the cable modem, the tuner functions as a ‘gateway’ component; it receives and tunes the signals, embedded with data and/or voice, delivered over the cable network to the subscriber.
source: thomasnet.com
Wideband is a game-changer for the industry. With wideband running over our next-generation fiber-optic network, we can greatly enhance our customers’ online experience immediately. And these speeds are only a preview of what’s to come—wideband will provide the capability of delivering dramatically faster speeds in excess of 160 Mbps in the future,” said Mitch Bowling, SVP and General Manager, Comcast Online Services.
Comcast is officially launching DOCSIS 3.0 service in some Northeast markets. The cable industry refers to DOCSIS 3.0 as wideband. Comcast quotes the era of DOCSIS 3.0 as the evolution of broadband to wideband. Wideband is a direct shot across the bow of Verizon FiOS and other FTTH providers. It also hopes to put the nail in the coffin of DSL, which will have a hard time competing with it. Comcast will offer the service in its Minneapolis, Boston, Philadelphia, and Southern New Hampshire markets. “Comcast plans to continue to roll out wideband across its footprint and expects to reach more than 10 major markets and pass nearly 10 million homes and businesses in the next several months,” says Comcast in a company statement.
source: telecompetitor.com
The sale of the ARRIS I-CMTS solution was conducted with the assistance of ARRIS Value-Added Resellers Net One Systems and KDDI.
Japan Cablenet selected the ARRIS Cable Modem Termination System solution in 2009 to deliver ultra-fast wideband data service to its customers. The ARRIS CMTS solution consists of the DOCSIS 3.0-qualified C4 CMTS and DOCSIS 3.0-certified WBM760C wideband modems, capable of delivering data speeds up to 160 Mbps, along with carrier-grade voice service. The technology is based on the DOCSIS 3.0 standard that supports both Upstream and Downstream channel bonding capabilities.
The ”Speed Star 160” rollout is especially significant in that it incorporates what is believed to be the industry’s first deployed service using Upstream Channel Bonding technology, which greatly enhances data rates. This technology not only greatly increases data throughput speeds to customers, but also ensures greater network reliability through noise reduction.
“We are very excited to be the first network in Japan, if not the world, to deploy Upstream Channel Bonding for our High Speed Data customers,” said JCN General Manager of business planning department and DOCSIS3.0 project manager, Hiroyoshi Takeyama. “This critical feature will make activities like the sharing of family pictures, home movies or other user-generated content a far more satisfying experience for our subscribers. It is our mission to provide our customers with the world’s fastest, most secure and most reliable super high-speed data service.”
source: lightreading.com
Here in the U.S., DOCSIS 3.0 modems are going on sale at retailers. Comcast, the largest cable operator in the U.S. has already announced plans to upgrade some markets it serves to DOCSIS 3.0 service by the end of 2009, offering speeds up to 50 Mbps downstream. Other cable operators have followed suit – Charter Communications is rolling out a 60 Mbps service and a Canadian cable company is offering a 100 Mbps tier.
The second largest cable company in Japan, Japan Cablenet Ltd., has announced a new DOCSIS 3.0 speed tier that appears to offer speeds up to 160 Mbps downstream, based on the product’s name. They’re calling it “Speed Star 160,” and it goes on sale to customers there later this month. While the downstream speed alone would be remarkable, this article implies that Cablenet may be planning to offer an upstream speed of 120 Mbps with the product.
Here at Insight, we’re following the DOCSIS 3.0 deployment very closely and already are doing some preparatory work on our network to prepare for DOCSIS 3.0 speeds.
source: michaelsinsight.com