During a recent interview with FierceCable, Comcast VP of network architecture Robert Howald said that Comcast has plans to offer gigabit Internet service to all of its customers by 2018.
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“In the initial interops, we saw visible signs of how DOCSIS 3.1 technology will change the industry including the delivery of multi-Gbps performance, and high order modulation densities never seen before in other technologies – both showcasing the capabilities of DOCSIS 3.1 networks even before the equipment has been deployed, ” he said. The DOCSIS 3.1 standard cable can support up to 10 GBps, so once the technology cover entire Comcast network, it will give company more option for improvements or upgrade. Comcast said in April that DOCSIS 3.1 will be available to some of its customers in early 2016 and eventually across its whole US footprint. The service provider’s DOCSIS 3.1 vendors were not revealed. Additional features include Active Queue Management, a sort of quality-of-service protocol that CableLabs, the spec’s author, promises will minimize delays inside the home and help out with tasks such as online gaming.
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But there aren’t many opportunities left if vendors are trying to get the CableLabs stamp on a DOCSIS 3.1 product before the end of 2015. That’s saying something, as the pace of cable modem speeds constantly increases, and cable and chip makers refine their technology. “We want to get it across the footprint very quickly…” The idea is to upgrade the entire network in a rapid manner so that within two years, regions that Comcast now serves would have access to gigabit speeds. “We’re testing it this year”, Howald told FierceCable.
