Tag Archives: DOCSIS 3.0

New DOCSIS 3.0 VX-7900i Mini-CMTS for Small Scale Deployments

27 May, 2015
Posted by Delia Hernandez
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Versa Technology is proud to announce that we will now be offering the VX-7900i, a DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS), to help Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Multiple-System Operators (MSOs) build small scale deployments ranging between 250-400 subscribers. These mini-CMTS are a cost-effective solution for cable operators seeking to offer cable connectivity in Multi-Dwelling Units (MDUs) such as apartments for example. These mini-CMTSs help cable operators connect a smaller scale network at a fraction of a cost of a fully-equipped CMTS, without excluding the benefits of DOCSIS 3.0.

Small-Scale Deployment Solution

Full-fledged CMTS are designed to support thousands of subscribers. Averaging around $30,000, these units are suitable for large-scale deployments where economies of scale give networks a larger ROI. These units are inefficient for smaller scale deployments ranging between 250-500 subscribers. Versa Technology’s Integrated CMTS is a smaller alternative that brings DOCSIS 3.0 connectivity to small communities and MDUs at a cost-effective price.

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DOCSIS 3.0 Technology

Versa Technology’s VX-7900i allows cable operators to utilize their legacy coaxial lines to deliver fiber-speeds via their existing Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial (HFC).

The VX-7900i can bond up to 16-QAM channels to achieve downstream (DS) data rates of up to 1.1Gbps and up to 4 QPSK/QAM channels to achieve upstream data rates of up to 160MBPS.

Versa Technology’s integrated CMTS offers layer 3 routing functions and QoS. The unit comes equipped with 1 RJ45 GE port and 1 SFP GE optical port. Versa Technology’s mini-CMTS will help cable companies’ broadband subscribers access Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and Video on Demand (VOD).

Versa Technology’s VX-7900 Mini-CMTS Head End will enable cable subscribers to benefit from DOCSIS 3.0 connectivity in small-scaled network environments. One of the key advantages of DOCSIS 3.0 technology, is the ability for cable operators to use their existing wiring infrastructure to upgrade their networks. Existing HFC networks will be able to achieve faster rates using channel bonding technology-a DOCSIS 3.0-specific upgrade.

The unit can operate in a variety of networking conditions and under different vendor requirements.

Adapting to Change

Docsis 3.0 will help MSOs and cable operators deliver the needed bandwidth to support IPTV and video files. This standard will help cable operators compete with DSL providers by offering ultra-fast broadband to their subscribers.

As cable operators adapt to the changing viewing habits of television consumers, cable operators find the need to offer broadband services. To learn more about how DOCSIS is helping cable companies re-brand themselves click here.

How Docsis 3.0 Improves Speed in Integrated and Modular CMTSs

06 May, 2015
Posted by Delia Hernandez
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Cable companies have arrived at a tipping point— their customer base consists of a growing number of broadband subscribers and a declining amount of cable subscribers. Customers are cutting the cord on cable and relying on online streaming and OTT (over-the-top) content to watch their favorite videos.

Cable Modem Termination Systems (CMTS) typically reside in cable head ends.

Broadband providers have been relying on Docsis to adjust for these changing consumer trends. Now that cable TV is no longer cable companies’ primary product offer, DOCSIS 3.0 will be helping cable operators upgrade their broadband services.

Docsis 3.0 features downstream rates of 42.88 Mbps and will allow cable operators to provide faster broadband speeds to their customers via their existing hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) networks.

DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem Termination Systems (CMTSs) come in two forms: Integrated and Modular. Both CMTS provide efficient services to different-sized networks.

Integrated vs. CMTSs

Integrated CMTSs (I-CMTS) typically comprise of a router, a filter (to throttle bandwidth) and a high frequency radio front (RF) end that modulates and demodulates incoming and outgoing data. These components have a fixed functionality in an I-CMTS architecture.

Modular CMTS (M-CMTS) on the other hand, house these components (router, filter, and RF front end) in separate shells. This gives MSO’s a dynamic approach to networking. MSO’s can assign different component ratios according to the distinct requirements of an application.

For example, to support an application that requires more RF capabilities, MSO’s can amplify RF support and reduce routing power.

These chassis are designed to support thousands of subscribers and cost approximately $30,000. They are ideal for large-scale deployments where economies of scale give networks the opportunity of receiving a larger ROI.

Small Scale HFC Deployments

These chassis however, are inefficient for smaller scale deployments that comprise of a few hundred subscribers.

I-CMTSs are more fitted to meet the demands of small scale deployments.

Mini-CMTSs in particular, typically cost between $8,000-10,000 and can support up to 500 subscribers per CMTS. These units are ideal for multidwelling units (MDU) such as condominiums, apartments, hotels, and small communities.

Channel Bonding and Dynamic Frequency Allocation

Both Modular and Integrated CMTs can take advantage of DOCSIS 3.0’s channel bonding and dynamic frequency allocation features—two powerful new improvements that work in conjunction with each other and accelerate throughput.

Channel bonding essentially bonds several frequencies together to create a larger pipe to increase throughput. According to the VoIpe Firm, channel bonding yields “subscriber data speeds of up to 160 Mbps”.

With dynamic frequency allocation, MSOs can use channel bonding to temporarily increase the bandwidth of certain subscribers that require more bandwidth. Previous DOCSIS standards offer fixed bandwidth to each subscriber.

Even though cable subscribers are plummeting, cable operators can entice their customer base with faster broadband speeds. Both Integrated and Modulated CMTSs can take advantage of the speed boost that DOCSIS 3.0 offers.

Docsis 3.0 can help cable operators fortify their broadband infrastructures to support the growing demand for high-speed broadband (IPTV, Over the top content)

Docsis—Transforming Cable Companies Into Broadband Companies

28 Apr, 2015
Posted by Delia Hernandez
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Cable broadcasting was not always as prevalent as it was now; the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) stymied the industry for several years to protect local television programming.

It was not until the 1984 Cable Act when the FCC deregulated the industry that cable became a burgeoning business. The cable industry was able to invest more than $15 billion in wiring infrastructure. According to the California Cable & Telecommunications Association, co-axial wiring “was the largest private construction project since World War II”. Since then, nothing has challenged the evolution of the cable industry more than the Internet.

The Internet changed the television viewing habits of consumers and disrupted the cable industry’s Pay-TV business model.

An increasing number of consumers now rely on online streaming and Over-the-top content (OTT) such as Netflix and Hulu to watch their favorite television shows.

Cable TV-A Vestigial Product Offer

As a result, cable companies have been building broadband networks, some as early as 1996. These higher-capacity hybrid fiber co-axial (HFC) networks support high-speed broadband and would go on to replace cable TV as a predominant product offer.

The Internet has forced cable companies to adapt and has pushed cable companies to evolve into broadband companies.

Wired reported that “the number of broadband subscribers with the major U.S. cable companies exceeded the number of cable subscribers, according Leichtman Research Group”. Wired has even pitched that “cable companies” have been misnamed and that they should instead be considered “broadband companies that offer cable on the side”.

DOCSIS Extends The Utility of HFC Networks

As the demand for high-speed broadband continues to increase, cable operators are upgrading their infrastructure to retain their competitive edge against DSL providers.

Where n stands for the number of channels bonded

Cable operators face the same challenges as DSL providers—they seek to increase bandwidth capacity while maintaining investment in infrastructure low. DOCSIS allows cable operators to retain the utility of their existing HFC networks. The longer these cable providers can retain the efficiency of HFC networks, the longer they’ll be able to compete with DSL providers without investing more resources in their infrastructure.

Where n stands for the number of channels bonded

The DOCSIS protocol allows cable operators to deliver broadband services over their existing Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial cables. Short for Data over Cable Service Interface Specification, the protocol “is an international telecommunications standard that permits the addition of high-speed data transfer to an existing cable TV system.”

DOCSIS Standards

The following list summarizes a few of the key differences between the several iterations of the DOCSIS standard:

DOCSIS1.0-1.x (1997)

Two upstream modulation profiles: QPSK and 16-QAM
Data rates (kb/s) 320, 640, 1280, 2560, 512 (QPSK)
Docsis 1.1 introduced a variety of security features including QoS, Dynamic Services, Concatenation, and Fragmentation to name a few

DOCSIS 2.0 (1999)

Higher order modulation: 8 QAM, 32-QAM, and 64 QAM
DOCSIS 1.0 (x6) & DOCSIS 1.1 (x3)
Improved against interference (A-TDMA and S-CDMA)
Utilizes 88Mhz to 860Mhz downstream, 5Mhz to 42Mhz upstream.

DOCSIS 3.0 (2001)

Channel bonding
Supports QAM128 for upstream traffic, while many DOCSIS 2 support only QAM64
Utilizes 108Mhz to 1.002Ghz downstream, 5Mhz to 85Mhz upstream

DOCSIS 3.1

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)
Dynamic Bandwidth Allocation
4096 QAM
Beamforming

For a thorough explanation of the DOCSIS 3.1, click here.

Learn more about how DSL providers are upgrading their networks with G. Fast

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New Cable Subscriber Trends and Docsis 3.0 Solutions

21 Apr, 2015
Posted by Delia Hernandez
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Cable operators don’t just deliver cable television anymore. Moody’s market analysis reports that “High-speed data subscriber numbers will surpass video subscribers for Moody’s-rated cable companies in the next year”.

The report is not surprising. The internet has disrupted traditional television viewing habits.

Television consumers now have the convenience of consuming OTT (Over the Top content) via Hulu or Netflix for example, to stream their favorite shows.

The Neilson Company reports that “Watching video on the Internet is no longer a novelty; 119 million unique viewers viewed 7.5 billion video streams in May 2008.” To further validate the trend, Cisco’s Visual Networking Index Forecast “predicts that video will comprise more than 50 percent of Internet traffic and the growth in video traffic will reach a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41 percent between 2007 and 2012”.

Consuming Television via the Internet

As a result, MSOs (Multi System Operators) and cable operators have arrived at the tipping point of convergence. With Interactive Protocol Television (IPTV), MSO’s deliver television content via the internet, converging video content into a dynamic channel that can be accessed across different platforms.

IPTV delivers interactive rich media content that consumers can access on-demand.

Media centers are one of the main components driving the demand for high-speed bandwidth. 4k Ultra-High Definition televisions have already started to hit the market. As 4k content becomes more available to stream, media-centers will become more bandwidth-hungry.

The Demand for Faster Upstream Rates

Internet users are not only watching television. They are also creating and uploading their own content at a greater rate. Alcatel asserts that “social media, video chatting and cloud services are driving upstream traffic growth”.

Though Alcatel concludes that symmetrical speed are not quite yet necessary, MSOs are seeking ways to increase upstream data rates with DOCSIS 3.0 and DOCSIS 3.1.