MoCA Access promises low-cost alternative to DOCSIS 3.1

Home networking technology group the Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) has turned its attention to the network access market with the launch of MoCA Access.

The industry group is pitching the new specification as a “fibre extension technology” and as a potential low-cost complement or alternative to DOCSIS 3.1 – or G.Fast – in cases where network operators have fibre-to-the-building in place.

The new specification, which is set to be approved by the MoCA board imminently, is based on the existing MoCA 2.5 spec and can turn MoCA 2.5 devices into access nodes via a firmware upgrade.

The technology is capable of delivering 2.5Gbps downstream and 2Gbps upstream with latency of under five miliseconds, according to MoCA. The spec removes home networking elements of the MoCA 2.5 spec to create a technology for point-to-multipoint access serving up to 63 client devices. It operates in the 400MHz-1675MHz range, enabling it to co-exist with TV transmissions as well as DOCSIS and cellular technologies.

“The only tweaks to the spec will be in software,” said Rob Gelphman, VP of marketing and member relations, MoCA, speaking to DTVE at the ANGA COM trade fair in Cologne.

Helge Tianen, chair of the MoCA Access working group and head of product marketing at InCoax, also at ANGA COM said MoCA Access had been designed as an in-building technology. He said it had removed the mesh elements of the MoCA 2.5 specification for home networking and added features to provide QoS, which is necessary for an access technology. It works in the 400-1675MHz range.

Tianen said that, in addition to providing residential high-speed broadband, MoCA Access could serve as a backhaul technology for 5G coverage in homes as well as enabling larger operators to more effectively target the business services market with guaranteed services.

For small and medium-sized operators, however, the technology can provide a way to offer ultra-fast services without the need for an expensive DOCSIS 3.1 upgrade, he said.

“Small and mid-size operators can’t afford to go to DOCSIS 3.1. But [often] they already have fibre to the building so they can use this technology in parallel with their DOCSIS 3.0 service. They can use this for premium tier services,” he said.

“The small and mid-size cable operators love this because they can’t calculate the business case to upgrade to 3.1. [With this] they can either rent fibre or they may own fibre. This is an affordable way to go ahead.”

In addition to MDUs, Tianen said that MoCA Access could also serve as an affordable technology for individual homes. He said that the technology has been evaluated by a number of tier one telcos as well as cable operators.

Tianen said that MoCA also has a roadmap to enable the technology to deliver up to 10GHz with the technology.

The new specification, which is set to be approved by the MoCA board imminently, is based on the existing MoCA 2.5 spec and can turn MoCA 2.5 devices into access nodes via a firmware upgrade.

The technology is capable of delivering 2.5Gbps downstream and 2Gbps upstream with latency of under five miliseconds, according to MoCA. The spec removes home networking elements of the MoCA 2.5 spec to create a technology for point-to-multipoint access serving up to 63 client devices. It operates in the 400MHz-1675MHz range, enabling it to co-exist with TV transmissions as well as DOCSIS and cellular technologies.

“The only tweaks to the spec will be in software,” said Rob Gelphman, VP of marketing and member relations, MoCA, speaking to DTVE at the ANGA COM trade fair in Cologne.

Helge Tianen, chair of the MoCA Access working group and head of product marketing at InCoax, also at ANGA COM said MoCA Access had been designed as an in-building technology. He said it had removed the mesh elements of the MoCA 2.5 specification for home networking and added features to provide QoS, which is necessary for an access technology. It works in the 400-1675MHz range.

Tianen said that, in addition to providing residential high-speed broadband, MoCA Access could serve as a backhaul technology for 5G coverage in homes as well as enabling larger operators to more effectively target the business services market with guaranteed services.

For small and medium-sized operators, however, the technology can provide a way to offer ultra-fast services without the need for an expensive DOCSIS 3.1 upgrade, he said.

“Small and mid-size operators can’t afford to go to DOCSIS 3.1. But [often] they already have fibre to the building so they can use this technology in parallel with their DOCSIS 3.0 service. They can use this for premium tier services,” he said.

“The small and mid-size cable operators love this because they can’t calculate the business case to upgrade to 3.1. [With this] they can either rent fibre or they may own fibre. This is an affordable way to go ahead.”

In addition to MDUs, Tianen said that MoCA Access could also serve as an affordable technology for individual homes.

He said that the technology has been evaluated by a number of tier one telcos as well as cable operators.

Tianen said that MoCA also has a roadmap to enable the technology to deliver up to 10Gbps with the technology.