Make it an even dozen for cable modems sporting new Data Over Cable Service
Interface Specification 2.0 stamps.
Cable Television Laboratories Inc. released the results of its latest
certification round Thursday, with 12 modems passing the DOCSIS 2.0 test.
The vendor winners were Ambit Microsystems Corp., Arris, Castlenet Technology
Inc., Com21 Inc., HitronTechnologies USA Inc., Linksys Group Inc., Motorola
Inc., Scientific-Atlanta Inc., Terayon Communication Systems Inc. and Thomson
Consumer Electronics.
Terayon and Motorola each won certification for two DOCSIS 2.0 modems in the
wave.
While the wave was rich in DOCSIS 2.0 modems, it was poor in
cable-modem-termination systems. No new CMTS units gained DOCSIS 2.0
qualification and, thus far, only one unit from Terayon has won that stamp.
The latest in the DOCSIS family of modem standards, DOCSIS 2.0 is an
advanced-physical-layer addition that can triple the upstream bandwidth of cable
modems compared with DOCSIS 1.1 systems. It is also better able to screen out
signal interference in the upstream.
Cable operators have been interested in DOCSIS 2.0 because of the bandwidth
boost in the upstream, which could help them to offer symmetric-speed services
aimed at the lucrative small-business and enterprise-customer markets.
Thus far, no cable operator has turned up DOCSIS 2.0, but industry watchers
pointed to the fact that this is only the second certification wave for the
fledgling specification. Still, the one-dozen new modems may help that
cause.
"The supply community has quickly embraced and developed products in
compliance with our DOCSIS 2.0 specifications," said Steve Craddock, senior vice
president of new media development at Comcast Corp. "This is a great volume of
certified product coming forth, considering that this is only our second DOCSIS
2.0 test wave."
Meanwhile, eight modems won DOCSIS 1.1 certification -- units from Arris,
D-Link Systems Inc., Kinpo Electronics Inc., Linksys, S-A, SMC Networks Inc.,
Terayon and Thomson.
In addition, a Cisco Systems Inc. CMTS unit won DOCSIS 1.1 qualification.
CableLabs will release the results of the PacketCable and CableHome testing
rounds Friday.
