Liberty backs Broadcom DOCSIS 3.1 chip

Liberty Global CTO, Balan Nair

Liberty Global has said that it will deploy Broadcom’s newly unveiled DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem system-on-a-chip (SoC) technology in the second half of this year. 

Unveiling the technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Broadcom said that the chip will allow cable operators to deliver data to homes at speeds faster than a Gigabit per second (Gbps).

The BCM3390 cable modem SoC delivers video content with almost 50% increased efficiency on existing spectrum allocations, allowing for the delivery and use of a new range of content and services, according to Broadcom.

The company also showcased its BCM93390 modem reference design with integrated WiFi, which it said provides up to 2 Gigabit speeds in the home, helping cable operators to transition to all-IP video.

Throwing his support behind the Broadcom technology, Liberty Global executive vice president and chief technology officer, Balan Nair, said: “The next generation of DOCSIS technology supports the Gigabit speeds our subscribers will increasingly demand over time.”

“DOCSIS 3.1 will enable Liberty Global to deliver an even richer experience once we begin deploying this cost-effective technology during the second half of 2015.”

Comcast also backed DOCSIS 3.1, with executive vice-president Tony Werner commenting that it expects to offer its customers more than 1 Gigabit speeds in their homes “in 2015 and beyond.”

“DOCSIS 3.1 is a critical technology for Comcast to provide even faster, more reliable data speeds and features such as IP video to our subscribers’ homes by harnessing more spectrum in the downstream,” Werner added.

Dan Marotta, Broadcom’s executive-vice president and general manager for its broadband and connectivity group said: “Broadcom has engineered a breakthrough technology for operators to exceed Gigabit speeds on existing cable networks while simultaneously improving operational efficiencies.”

“With our new cable modem SoC, service providers can immediately begin to unlock the value of DOCSIS 3.1 to provide their subscribers with the best home networking experiences.”