Charter and Vecima demonstrate long-term HFC network future with multi-gigabit

Vecima Networks Inc. and Charter Communications, Inc., in partnership, today announced that they have demonstrated greater than 8.5 Gbps downstream and 6 Gbps upstream on hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) cable plant. The demonstration was built using next-generation DOCSIS 4.0 System-on-a-Chip (SoC) for Remote MACPHY Device (RMD) and cable modem solutions, which conforms to CableLabs DOCSIS 4.0 FDD specifications.

This lab demonstration of DOCSIS 4.0 frequency division duplexing (FDD) end-to-end performance using just a single reference cable modem shows the massive capacity available through incremental upgrades to existing HFC plant. The system utilizes the existing FDD mode of operation which has been used for over 20 years of DOCSIS deployment. It delivers a natural and evolutionary network upgrade leveraging existing skillsets. By building on the existing FDD approach and simply extending downstream and upstream to higher frequencies, the capacity of the network can be increased through the existing amplifier cascade.

Many MSOs are excited to see this demonstration of DOCSIS 4.0 with FDD. This technology, and the level of performance it will bring to the industry, promises to maintain the ubiquitously deployed broadband advantage of existing HFC cable plants around the world. “This provides proof that our network is capable of offering multi-gig speeds bi-directionally,” said Joe Godas, Senior Vice President, Network Engineering & Technology, Charter Communications. “Having this technology offers an option for future improvements and continuing to evolve our leading service for years to come.”

When asked about the future of DOCSIS in Cable Operator networks, Jeff Heynen, Vice President, Broadband Access & Home Networking at the Dell’Oro Group said “I am seeing broad interest among MSOs in both DOCSIS 4.0 and 1.8 GHz. Both are game-changing innovations for cable operators. To maintain HFC’s competitive advantage in the market, D4.0 will be a critical network advancement.”

“Vecima is excited to help lead the industry in bringing DOCSIS 4.0 to the market,” added Sumit Kumar, President and Chief Executive Officer at Vecima. “The HFC plant remains a huge asset for cable operators, and our recent testing validates the performance and viability of DOCSIS 4.0 and the inherent multi-gig symmetrical capacity of the cable plant. Vecima is proud to play such an integral role in powering the world’s movement to the limitless broadband connectivity of the future.” BusinessWire