CableLabs qualifies first set of DPoE hardware

Non-profit cable industry research and development consortium CableLabs says it has issued the first qualifications of hardware designed to version 1.0 of its DOCSIS Provisioning of EPON (DPoE) specifications. The qualification means the offerings both meet CableLabs’ DPoE specifications and are interoperable.

As the name implies, the DPoE specifications describe a means by which the DOCSIS operating system common in cable MSO networks can be used to provision EPON networks. Thus, cable operators can deploy the fiber to the home (FTTH), building, and business technology underneath the same umbrella that is used to manage hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) networks. CableLabs expects the technology will primarily be used to deliver business services, including those defined by the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF).

The first series of certifications covers both systems and optical network units (ONUs). Systems from CommScope, Huawei, Sumitomo Electric, and ZTE earned the check mark, as well as ONUs from CTDI, Finisar, Huawei, and Sumitomo Electric.

“It is excellent news for the cable industry to now be able to choose between so many qualified DPoE devices as the complexity and speeds of our offered services continues to increase,” said Craig Cowden, senior vice president of network engineering, operations and enterprise solutions at Bright House Networks. “Having qualified devices will provide cable operators with yet another valuable tool as we continue to pursue our respective deployment objectives.”

More than 20 vendors participated in the development and interoperability testing of the DPoE specifications, according to CableLabs. “When so many equipment suppliers dedicate themselves to interoperability, it helps us increase the speed of innovation within the industry,” said Glenn Russell, vice president of business services at CableLabs. “Their commitment to interoperability will significantly expand the options for cable operators, as well as the service options for their customers.”

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