The latest cable-modem specification aimed at boosting upstream data rates is
now ready for testing.
Cable Television Laboratories Inc. has announced that its Data Over Cable Service Interface
Specification 2.0 is now complete, and interoperability testing will begin later
this quarter.
If all goes well, the Louisville, Colo.-based cable-technology consortium
plans to begin certification testing for DOCSIS 2.0 modems and cable-modem -termination systems in the third quarter.
DOCSIS 2.0 adds advanced physical-layer capabilities that can triple the
upstream channel, where data flow from the user to the network.
A network using DOCSIS 2.0 can produce 30-megabit-per-second throughput in
both directions, allowing for more two-way communications applications such as
videoconferencing and peer-to-peer computing.
This upstream-capacity boost is seen as crucial for cable operators wanting
to develop symmetrical data services for small to midsized business customers.
'CableLabs' work in the cable-modem arena has added immense value to the
cable industry's broadband business and to the industry's consumer offerings,'
said Mark Coblitz, senior vice president of strategic planning for Comcast Corp.,
in a release. 'The modem effort has reinforced cable's role as the leader in
broadband-service deployment.'
DOCSIS 2.0 will include two modulation schemes -- synchronous code-division
multiple-access, a technology championed by Terayon Communication Systems Inc.,
and advanced frequency-agile time-division multiple access.
In addition to boosting upstream capacity, the technology also can clean up
interference problems.
