Comcast said it has successfully established the very first live, symmetrical multi-gigabit connection to a real-life Philadelphia business using Full Duplex DOCSIS 4.0 technology.
The world's first live "10G" connection sets up wide-scale deployment of next-generation cable network broadband services starting in 2023, per Comcast's previously announced plan. It wants to have FDX DOCSIS 4.0 services available to 50 million homes and businesses by 2025.
FDX DOCSIS 4.0 uses the same legacy cable already installed in the last mile reaching homes and businesses.
The No. 1 U.S. cable operator has announced a steady progression of successful tests using the new network technology. In September, it announced that it had completed its final lab test of the scheme, delivering symmetrical speeds of 4 gigabits per second.
The cable industry has put Full Duplex DOCSIS 4.0 and various other new network technology innovations into a marketing bucket it calls "10G," an effort to counter punch the wireless industry's ongoing -- and quite successful -- 5G push.
Cable operators are currently losing ground in wireline broadband as wireless companies use excess 5G capacity to deliver fixed wireless access (FWA) services to residences. T-Mobile and Verizon added 920,000 FWA customers in the third quarter as the top U.S. cable operators tacked on less than 40,000 of their own broadband customers.
The cable industry hopes the superior performance of 10G enabled services will restore it to growth, but the market seems to be driven more by enticing consumer economics right now. T-Mobile Home Internet, for example, is undercutting cable with a $50-a-month price point, despite lagging a bit in performance.
Meanwhile, data recently published by OpenVault suggests that only around 15% of the U.S. broadband market has signed on for 1 Gbps internet at this point.
Still, the cable biz persists in its belief that superior performance will ultimately win out.
“This live trial combines years of technology innovation and versatility to create a clear path to next-generation speed, reliability and performance for all the homes in our footprint, not just a select few,” said Charlie Herrin, president of technology, product and experience at Comcast Cable. “What excites us most about 10G technology is the ability to continue our longstanding commitment to delivering our best technologies to everyone we serve.” ■
