The Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA), the group behind a speedy in-home networking platform, is looking to expand the reach of its core technology via the development of a new specification for the access market, with a specific focus on apartment buildings and other types of multiple dwelling units.
MoCA said the spec will be on the current MoCA 2.0 standard, which supports net data throughputs of 1 Gbps. The organization also has plans to integrate the new MoCA 2.5 spec, which will support speeds up to 2.5 Gbps and is backward-interoperable with MoCA 2.0.
The MoCA Access spec is expected to be available by mid-2017, according to the organization.
Among use cases for MoCA Access, the org said it will be a viable solution for operators driving fiber deep into the network or to the building (FTTB) and want to leverage existing wiring without sacrificing performance, and for ISPs building fiber-based networks that terminate the topical signal in the basement of a facility and use existing coax to deliver service to each unit or apartment. It also sees it taking hold with commercial integrators that design and install networks in restaurants, offices and any other buildings that have coax already installed.
MoCA believes the new Access spec will gain traction first in markets such as Europe and China, but also sees commercial opportunities in the hospitality and hotels segment arising in North America as well.
InCoax Networks AB of Sweden and Luster of China are among companies that are interested in the new access platform, MoCA noted.
“Our move into access applications is driven by operators worldwide who told us they need one Gbps actual throughputs with a long-term migration path and want to use the existing coax infrastructure,” Charles Cerino, president of MoCA, said in a statement. “Our performance and reliability attributes are proving to be a great solution in broadband applications as well as the home network backbone.”
