Tuesday, October 31st 2017
DOCSIS 3.1 Makes 10 Gbps Downstream & 1 Gbps Upstream Speeds a Reality
CableLabs, the leading innovation lab for the secure delivery of high speed data, video, voice and next generation services, today completed its Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1 specification which significantly increases upstream capacity and enables symmetric multi-Gigabit services over existing hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) technology. Anticipating a change in user demand as emerging technologies require more bandwidth, CableLabs' Full Duplex DOCSIS technology will ensure that cable operators can be ready to meet future usage needs for technologies such as virtual and augmented reality. Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1 technology builds on the successful completion of CableLabs' DOCSIS 3.1 specification, which made deployments of 10 Gbps downstream and 1 Gbps upstream broadband possible.
"In the United States, more than 90 percent of households are connected to an HFC network, and consumers typically have higher download speeds than upload speeds," said Phil McKinney, president and chief executive officer of CableLabs. "By enabling Full Duplex DOCSIS, the upstream and downstream traffic can flow at up to 10 Gigabits concurrently, doubling the efficiency of spectrum use."
In current DOCSIS networks, spectrum is typically split between the upstream and downstream, or spectrum is shared between upstream and downstream traffic. Full duplex communication enables upstream and downstream traffic to efficiently use the same spectrum simultaneously, which can be beneficial for residential and business services. For businesses in particular, symmetric services can vastly improve network efficiency, which can, in turn, improve the customer experience on business websites.
By leveraging the combination of DOCSIS 3.1 technology, passive HFC network characteristics, self interference cancellation technology and intelligent scheduling, CableLabs - along with the collaboration of its members and other industry partners - developed this solution enabling full duplex communications over the existing HFC network. The evolution also eliminates the need and cost of deploying fiber to the home while still maintaining backward compatibility with previous generations of DOCSIS technology.
The Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1 specification effort was initially announced by CableLabs in February 2016. The update to DOCSIS 3.1 including the complete Full Duplex DOCSIS specification will be published on the CableLabs website later this month.
"In the United States, more than 90 percent of households are connected to an HFC network, and consumers typically have higher download speeds than upload speeds," said Phil McKinney, president and chief executive officer of CableLabs. "By enabling Full Duplex DOCSIS, the upstream and downstream traffic can flow at up to 10 Gigabits concurrently, doubling the efficiency of spectrum use."
By leveraging the combination of DOCSIS 3.1 technology, passive HFC network characteristics, self interference cancellation technology and intelligent scheduling, CableLabs - along with the collaboration of its members and other industry partners - developed this solution enabling full duplex communications over the existing HFC network. The evolution also eliminates the need and cost of deploying fiber to the home while still maintaining backward compatibility with previous generations of DOCSIS technology.
The Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1 specification effort was initially announced by CableLabs in February 2016. The update to DOCSIS 3.1 including the complete Full Duplex DOCSIS specification will be published on the CableLabs website later this month.
39 Comments on DOCSIS 3.1 Makes 10 Gbps Downstream & 1 Gbps Upstream Speeds a Reality
Bad thing is, now the providers will have yet ANOTHER excuse to raise their rates AGAIN, saying that it will take xxx billions of dollars to implement the new standards
Hopefully this will help improve latency on cable networks as well, but one can only dream...
In most of the areas of the USA, ISPs have still not saturated the upsteam bandwidth of DOCSIS 1.0, released in 1997. DOCSIS 1.0 specifies upstream of 10 Mbps. I have three providers, ATT, spectrum, and a local provider. Spectrum is 6 Mbps up max, local is 5, and ATT is 3, because the most they will sell you is 18/3.
DOCSIS 3.0 specifies 1.2GBps downstream and 200Mbps upstream, released in 2008. Short of the few GB fiber areas, most people come nowhere near that. DOCSIS 1, 1.1, and 2.0 all specified 40 down, and in many parts of the US, speeds faster then 25 are not available.
American ISPs have been too lazy to max out DOCSIS for almost two decades now. That wont change anytime soon. They have had 20 years, and still havent built up enough infrastructure to fully max DOCSIS 1.0, or if they have, they refuse to sell it.
I'm sorry you get screwed by your service providers, but the implementation of a new standard is going to take time, regardless.
They actually lowered the prices around here recently, could be because 4G home internet is becoming a viable alternative to wired now.
Sad, but true.
The broadband offering will set customers back SG$189 per month over a 24-month contract.
www.zdnet.com/article/m1-launches-10gbps-symmetrical-service/
how is it possible?? becouse they have profit only 32Mil .. on china is it not too much on profit per Y.
how is it in usa?? ))) see profit on google,verizon or other meghalodons or others what leak profit to tax heavens..
bad crony capitallism in usa ..
as far as i know there are only one or two ISPs that do gigabit speeds but even then service is only available in certain parts/areas of the UK and not nationwide....
Our Government love to wax lyrical about how we should be 'leading the class' given how important the UK is when it comes to global economics and world stage but we really dont see much getting done.
Hell, I raised hell all-the-time about a constant dropping of service when there was a lot of moisture (humidity) or when it was raining. TWC would show up and pretend to do something to get it back up even though I tell them that those damn line filters need to be replaced and the filter box they have next to an electric power line needs complete replacement as moisture is getting in there. I had to drone on this for 5+ years with TWC. As soon as I saw that merger finalize and about a year to pass, I gave them a ring and was surprised to get someone from New York. That person got a tech out to me in 2 days and they did, indeed, replace their hardware that is on their end. The entire neighborhood block thanked me for that. Some of my neighbors, I swear...gawd, they need to help themselves instead of having that stupid "ignorance is bliss" and "reliance on being spoon fed" mentality. However, I am digressing.
How long will it be like this before Spectrum reverts to the usual horrible ISP service and tactics is another story. Especially with them being the only real high-speed ISP locally. My advice is to constantly bitch and fight with your ISPs.
Cable in general is a great platform, but those theoretical top speeds cant be archieved since ISP's more and more send out digital TV signals over the same line as well. So in the end you'll have a smaller frequency that's available for your internet.
Even with my 300/25 speeds for DS/US, I will still struggle with 4K streaming at times. Granted, that could be other factors (y'know, throttling, that dirty word that no ISP will admit to).
Edit: Cable is still technical limited to what the 'hoods' cabinet is capable of. If that is underpowered, everyone in the same area basicly has a lesser connection.
Also, all bandwidth numbers above are shared between users in specific service group, individual users will never get those speeds, though sometimes you can pay extra for qos type prioritisation to get it close enough.
Service groups (SG) usually have anywhere from 100 to 500 members/users, but it is not so strange to see numbers well above that :(. When SG 'actual' bandwidth hit certain threshold, that network segment usually splits, but that process relies heavily on investment plan.
I'm sure Comcast is, probably, better in their infrastructure than Spectrum is in areas that used to be Time Warner Cable. I have heard Spectrum areas that were Charter have not noticed huge differences but for us former TWC customers, we are seeing huge changes.