SCTE Special Working Group to tackle DOCSIS 3.1

The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) announced yesterday at its Cable-Tec Expo in Orlando, FL, that it has formed a Special Working Group within the SCTE Standards Program to recommend best practices and requirements for the upcoming generation of the cable industry’s DOCSIS operating system, DOCSIS 3.1. This new version of DOCSIS will aim to enable cable operators to support 10-Gbps downstream transmission and 1 Gbps upstream, data rates similar to asymmetrical 10G-EPON.

CableLabs will be responsible for developing the DOCSIS 3.1 standards, a task it expects to complete in the main next year.

Jack Moran will chair the effort. Moran is a Fellow of the Technical Staff for Motorola Mobility’s Home Business and author of several DOCSIS specifications.

“The power and flexibility of HFC networks continues to make them well-suited for next-generation technologies,” said Moran. “With intelligent and proactive RF plant maintenance techniques, as well as advancements in higher-power laser technology and enhanced RF spectrum, cable operators will be extremely well-positioned to keep up with Nielsen’s Law growth in demand for speed and services.”

“SCTE and CableLabs have a shared commitment to helping cable operators significantly accelerate deployment of advanced technologies such as DOCSIS 3.1,” said Joe Jensen, CTO of Buckeye CableSystem and chairman of the SCTE Engineering Committee. “By working closely to align training and best practices with technology development, we can ensure that new technologies are deployed as quickly as possible.”

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