Comcast has conducted the first-ever live lab test of a Full Duplex DOCSIS system-on-chip device.
The test, part of the 10G industry initative, is expected to pave the way for operators to deliver multigigabit upload and download speeds over its hybrid-fiber coaxial (HFC) network.
Built by Broadcom, the device is expected to become the world’s first production silicon to be developed using the DOCSIS 4.0 Full Duplex standard. One of the most important breakthroughs in the DOCSIS 4.0 standard is the ability to use network spectrum more efficiently, allowing operators to dramatically increase upstream speeds without sacrificing downstream spectrum to do so.
“This milestone is particularly exciting, because this technology is an important step forward toward unlocking multigigabit upload and download speeds for hundreds of millions of people worldwide, not just a select few,” Charlie Herrin, President of Technology, Product, Xperience, Comcast Cable.
A key advantage of DOCSIS 4.0 Full Duplex is that it can be delivered over existing infrastructure, removing the need for additional construction projects.
Comcast technologists in Philadelphia and Denver conducted the test by installing the Broadcom SOC in a simulated network environment to track the performance of its Full Duplex DOCSIS features – including echo cancellation and overlapping spectrum – which combine to support substantial improvements in network throughput. In the test environment, the research team demonstrated the ability of the SOC to deliver upstream and downstream throughputs of greater than 4 gigabits per second (Gbps). Future optimization is expected to drive even greater capacity.
Elad Nafshi, Senior Vice President of Next Generation Access Networks at Comcast Cable, said that the performance of the Broadcom SOC in Comcast’s simulated network environment exceeded expectations, and sets the stage for expanded testing later this year.
“With this test we gain a powerful new tool to support our mission of delivering the best possible connected experiences to our customers,” Nafshi said.
Last October, Comcast technologists were able to deliver 1.25 Gig symmetrical speeds over a live, all-digital network by leveraging advances in Distributed Access Architecture, Remote PHY digital nodes, and a cloud-based virtualized cable modem termination system platform (vCMTS).
