Comcast makes ‘world first’ DOCSIS 4.0 consumer deployment

Comcast will next week launch what it says is the first residential deployment in the world of a broadband service powered by DOCSIS 4.0 technology.

The latest version of DOCSIS technology can deliver multi-gigabit symmetrical speeds to customers over existing HFC networks.

As a part of the launch, Comcast will introduce a new portfolio of symmetrical products for residential customers.

The cable giant will begin rolling out DOCSIS 4.0 to select neighbourhoods in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and will follow up by launching in new markets throughout the US over the next few years. Select areas of Atlanta, GA and Philadelphia, PA are expected to begin rolling out before the end of this year.

New and existing residential customers connected via DOCSIS 4.0 will have access to Comcast’s new portfolio of internet offerings, dubbed ‘X-Class’.

X-Class speed tier offerings include X-300 Mbps, X-500 Mbps, X-1 Gbps and X-2 Gbps for both upload and download speeds.

A symmetrical 10 Gbps service based on fiber-to-the-home technology is already available in Comcast’s markets. However, the introduction of DOCSIS 4.0 will see multi-gig symmetrical speeds rolling out more widely.

Comcast has adopted the Full Duplex (FDX) version of DOCSIS 4.0 in order to deliver symmetrical bandwidth, enabling to compete effectively with FTTH providers. The operator is upgrading its network to 1.2GHz, rather than the 1.8GHz envisaged by other versions of the advanced DOCSIS standard, with upstream and downstream traffic using the same spectrum.

The initial deployments reportedly involve deep fibre enabling the elimination of the need for amplifiers between node and home. However, wider deployments are likely to involve the use of new FDX amplifiers currently being tested.

“The ubiquity of our network, which is already accessible to tens of millions of homes, provides us with an incredible opportunity to bring multi-gigabit upload and download speeds to communities across the country with the scale and efficiency that no other provider can replicate,” said Dave Watson, President and CEO, Comcast Cable.

“Our connectivity experience, powered by the Xfinity 10G Network, will allow us to deliver speeds up to 10 Gbps over our traditional network to virtually all our customers, plus even better reliability, lower latency, and the best in-home WiFi coverage. We’re entering the next phase of this industry leadership with DOCSIS 4.0 technology to introduce X-Class Internet products that will revolutionize the way our customers get online today and many years into the future.”