Cable giants Comcast and Charter Communications on Wednesday announced a new partnership with chipmaker Broadcom to jointly develop a new silicon standard capable of delivering downstream speeds of up to 25 gigabits per second over cable's traditional hybrid fiber-coax wires. 

Outlining their collaboration during the cable industry's big annual tech trade show, SCTE TechExpo in Atlanta, the companies billed the standard as the launch of “DOCSIS 5.0” — a new version of the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification, which the cable industry uses to transmit data. 

It's an attempt to unify the fractured development paths of the current DOCSIS 4.0 iteration, which has two disparate threads — Full Duplex DOCSIS 4.0 and Extended Spectrum DOCSIS 4.0 (ESD). 

Comcast, Charter and Broadcom are looking to develop unified DOCSIS chipsets for network nodes, smart amps, and cable modems, enabling both FDX and ESD versions of the DOCSIS 4.0 specification. 

“Supporting a single technology that can be used by all operators efficiently, over their existing networks, allows the industry to leverage its collective investment, and to increase the benefits of AI at the edge,” Charlie Herrin, president of technology, product and experience for Comcast, said in a statement. 

Added said Rich DiGeronimo, president of product and technology for Charter: “By integrating Broadcom's cutting-edge technology into our network infrastructure and cable modems, our network will leverage artificial intelligence to enhance power, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, ultimately delivering superior services to our customers.”

A Munich, Germany, court has ordered Netflix to stop using high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) to stream 4K video locally, siding with technology company Broadcom in a dispute over patent infringement.

Also read our updated Nov. 13 coverage: Netflix Loses Another Ruling in German HEVC Patent Dispute With Broadcom

HEVC is also known as H.265, the video compression standard that's up to 50% more efficient than previous standards like Advanced Video Coding (AVC). 

“Netflix has built a robust video streaming business that relies on Broadcom’s patented technology to deliver content to its users, and Broadcom is pleased to see this recognized by the German court,” Mark Terrano, VP and general manager of Broadcom’s Intellectual Property and Licensing Division, said in a statement.

Netflix has yet to publicly comment on the injunction.

Netflix and Broadcom have been beefing since 2018, with the video tech company also contesting Dutch and U.S. patents related to HEVC. 

Meta technologist David Ronca, who used to be Netflix's top video engineer, had this to say on LinkedIn Tuesday:

The Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order of its settlement with broadband and TV semiconductor components supplier Broadcom.

That came after a mandatory public comment period on the proposed settlement.

The vote to approve the finals order was 3-0-1, with chair Lina Khan recusing her self from the vote.

Back in July, the FTC struck a deal with Broadcom to settle allegations Broadcom illegally monopolized the markets by conditioning access to its components on preventing customers from purchasing chips from its competitors.

Under the settlement, Broadcom agreed not to require customers to source their components exclusively or almost exclusively from the company.

Under the settlement, Broadcom cannot enter into certain exclusive agreements for chips for broadcast set-top boxes, as well as digital subscriber line and fiber broadband internet devices. It also prevents Broadcom from retaliating against customers who use its competitors.

The FTC pointed out that Broadcom dominates chips at the core of not only cable set-top boxes, DSL and broadband devices, but it is also a significant supplier of chips for streaming on set-tops, WiFi chips and chips converting analog signals to digital. Broadcom‘s direct customers are equipment manufacturers that supply AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Dish Network, Verizon Communications and others.

The Federal Trade Commission has struck a deal with broadband and TV semiconductor components supplier Broadcom.

The FTC had alleged Broadcom illegally monopolized the markets by conditioning access to its components on preventing customers from purchasing chips from its competitors.

Under the settlement, Broadcom agrees not to require customers to source their components exclusively or almost exclusively from Broadcom.

“Today’s complaint reflects the Commission’s commitment to enforcing the antitrust laws against monopolists, including in high-technology industries,” said FTC Bureau of Competition acting director Holly Vedova in a statement. “America has a monopoly problem. Today’s action is a step toward addressing that problem by pushing back against strong-arm tactics by a monopolist in important markets for key broadband components. There is much more work to be done and we need the tools and resources to do it. But I have full confidence in FTC staff’s commitment to this effort.”

The unanimous vote to issue the complaint and at the same time accept the settlement was 4-0-1, with new FTC chair Lina Kahn not participating in the vote. 

Under the settlement, Broadcom can't enter into certain exclusive agreements for chips for broadcast set-top boxes, as well as DSL and fiber broadband internet devices, and prevents Broadcom from retaliating against customers who use its competitors.

The FTC pointed out that Broadcom dominates chips at the core of not only set-tops, DSL and broadband devices, but also a significant supplier of chips for streaming on set-tops, Wi-Fi chips and chips converting analog to digital signals.

Broadcom's direct customers are equipment manufacturers that supply AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Dish, Verizon, and others.

Pay TV set-top vendors Verimatrix and Broadcom have announced a new collaboration they say will speed operator deployment of Android TV pay TV set-top boxes.

Visit Next TV to read more stories like this one. 

Paris-based Verimatrix specializes in content security and will provide its Video Content Authority System (VCAS) technology to San Jose-headquartered chipmaker Broadcom to create pre-integrated set-top components for Android TV-based set-tops.

The pre-integration, they say, will make getting to market easier for pay TV operators, who are increasingly turning to Android TV to provide their customers with next-generation user experiences. Android TV gives users access to the Google Play Store, which has apps for everything from Netflix to YouTube to Hulu to CBS All Access.

Android TV also includes voice control through native Google Assistant integration. A recent Rethink Technology Research report suggested Android TV will emerge as the dominant set-top platform globally over the next five years.

Also read: Android TV to Become Dominant Global Pay TV Set-top Platform: Research Group

“What is unique about our collaboration is that it enables both a rapid and secure deployment of premium video services via Android TV—we are proud to be the first security vendor to enable Broadcom to offer this for 4K/UHD content,” said Verimatrix COO Asaf Ashkenazi, in a statement. “Any STB vendor or video service provider that selects our pre-integrated solution can rest assured that the process of deploying Android TV, as well as managing future upgrades, will be as hassle-free as possible with minimal time and effort required.”

Pay TV set-top vendors Verimatrix and Broadcom have announced a new collaboration they say will speed operator deployment of Android TV pay TV set-top boxes.

Paris-based Verimatrix specializes in content security and will provide its Video Content Authority System (VCAS) technology to San Jose-headquartered chipmaker Broadcom to create pre-integrated set-top components for Android TV-based set-tops. 

The pre-integration, they say, will make getting to market easier for pay TV operators, who are increasingly turning to Android TV to provide their customers with next-generation user experiences. Android TV gives users access to the Google Play Store, which has apps for everything from Netflix to YouTube to Hulu to CBS All Access. 

Android TV also includes voice control through native Google Assistant integration. A recent Rethink Technology Research report suggested Android TV will emerge as the dominant set-top platform globally over the next five years.

Also read: Android TV to Become Dominant Global Pay TV Set-top Platform: Research Group

“What is unique about our collaboration is that it enables both a rapid and secure deployment of premium video services via Android TV—we are proud to be the first security vendor to enable Broadcom to offer this for 4K/UHD content,” said Verimatrix COO Asaf Ashkenazi, in a statement. “Any STB vendor or video service provider that selects our pre-integrated solution can rest assured that the process of deploying Android TV, as well as managing future upgrades, will be as hassle-free as possible with minimal time and effort required.”

Broadcom, a leading chipmaker for pay TV set-tops and other telecom CPE, is suing Netflix, alleging that the streaming service is violating eight of its patents related to data transfer and video playback.

“Netflix has built its familiar video streaming business, in part, on Broadcom’s patented technology,” claims the suit, which was filed in a Los Angeles federal court on Friday. The suit was originally obtained and reported on by Variety.

“Netflix relies on this technology for crucial aspects of the Netflix streaming service. This includes, for example, the Netflix systems used to ensure effective and reliable delivery of streaming content with minimal interruptions, to ensure the efficient use of Netflix server resources, and to encode Netflix streaming content in a format compatible with a large percentage of the client devices used to access Netflix service.”

Here’s the kicker. San Jose-based Broadcom is alleging that its own pay TV set-top business has been ruined by a cord cutting trend induced by Netflix.

“As a direct result of the on-demand streaming services provided by Netflix, the market for traditional cable services that require set top boxes has declined, and continues to decline, thereby substantially reducing Broadcom’s set top box business,” the suit adds.

As Variety noted, Broadcom has been somewhat unsuccessful in the realm of patent litigation in recent years, losing International Trade Commission decisions to smart TV maker Vizio and chipmaker Sigma Designs.

In fact, in January, a jury awarded Cal Tech $270.2 million after ruling that Broadcom infringed on its technology licenses in chips used in iPhones and other Apple devices. Apple was ordered to pay $837.8 million in that verdict. 

Broadcom, a leading chipmaker for pay TV set-tops and other telecom CPE, is suing Netflix, alleging that the streaming service is violating eight of its patents related to data transfer and video playback. 

“Netflix has built its familiar video streaming business, in part, on Broadcom’s patented technology,” claims the suit, which was filed in a Los Angeles federal court on Friday. The suit was originally obtained and reported on by Variety. 

“Netflix relies on this technology for crucial aspects of the Netflix streaming service. This includes, for example, the Netflix systems used to ensure effective and reliable delivery of streaming content with minimal interruptions, to ensure the efficient use of Netflix server resources, and to encode Netflix streaming content in a format compatible with a large percentage of the client devices used to access Netflix service.”

Here’s the kicker. San Jose-based Broadcom is alleging that its own pay TV set-top business has been ruined by a cord cutting trend induced by Netflix. 

“As a direct result of the on-demand streaming services provided by Netflix, the market for traditional cable services that require set top boxes has declined, and continues to decline, thereby substantially reducing Broadcom’s set top box business,” the suit adds. 

As Variety noted, Broadcom has been somewhat unsuccessful in the realm of patent litigation in recent years, losing International Trade Commission decisions to smart TV maker Vizio and chipmaker Sigma Designs. 

In fact, in January, a jury awarded Cal Tech $270.2 million after ruling that Broadcom infringed on its technology licenses in chips used in iPhones and other Apple devices. Apple was ordered to pay $837.8 million in that verdict. 

Halloween came early for the cable technology world in January, when four Danish internet security researchers identified “Cable Haunt,” a security flaw affecting more than 200 million cable modems equipped with Broadcom chips in Europe alone.

The Cable Haunt vulnerability is focused on the spectrum analyzer, a standard component of Broadcom silicon that protects modems from signal surges and other disturbances piped in by the coax.

The spectrum analyzer is often used by internet service providers for debugging and improving connection quality. Access to it is typically limited to connections originating within the managed network.

Researchers at Danish firm Lyrebirds said the Broadcom chipset’s spectrum analyzer is vulnerable because it uses default credentials and lacks protection against denial of service-based “rebinding attacks.” They also said the chipset contains a firmware programming error.

Hackers could exploit the vulnerability and get users to accept malicious web pages, researchees said. Once that’s done, hackers could change default domain name system (DNS) servers; conduct remote man-in-the-middle attacks; swap code and change firmware, config files and MAC addresses; and do other evil things.

The vulnerability is widespread, they added. “The reason for this, is that the vulnerability originated in reference software, which have seemingly been copied by different cable modems manufacturers, when creating their cable modem firmware,” the researchers said on cablehaunt.com, a website they set up to publicize the issue. “This means that we have not been able to track the exact spread of the vulnerability, and that it might present itself in slightly different ways for different manufacturers.”

The group also published a white paper accessible on the site. They hope that ISPs and other tech firms release firmware updates and patch any vulnerabilities.

Broadcom said it released several firmware fixes last year. Others have released fixes, too. Meanwhile, ZDNet, which had engineers probe the vulnerability, described an attack using Cable Haunt as being “very hard to pull off.”

Looking to serve a vendor market that wants to deliver agile, OTT-capable set-tops to pay TV operators, Broadcom and RDK Management have jointly announced the RDK Accelerator Program.

The new initiative will deliver chip sets that are pre-integrated with the Reference Design Kit software stack, which includes access to the Metrological App Store. Much like the Google Play Store that’s integrated into set-tops built around the rival Android TV operating system, these RDK set-tops have access to Netflix, Hulu and many other popular OTT apps distributed through the Metrological App Store.

The Broadcom chipsets have actually been around for a while now.

Released January, Broadcom’s BCM72180 is the latest generation of Advanced HDR Ultra High Definition (UHD), high-security system-on-chip (SoC) devices for set-tops. It delivers with 50% higher performance and 50% lower power than the prior generation. Newly integrated technologies include the streaming optimized AV1 UHD IPTV video codec, personalized Far-Field Voice (FFV) control, and 2x2 Wi-Fi 6 for significantly better streaming performance, higher security, and lower power consumption. Meanwhile, the BCM72180 supports hybrid (cable, satellite and terrestrial) and traditional IPTV designs, with and without FFV.

Developed jointly by Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications, RDK is an open source software platform for the connected home that standardizes core functions used in broadband, video, and IoT devices.

“Broadcom has always been committed to RDK, and this new effort is aimed at the growing demand for RDK-based video solutions from global OEMs and service providers,” said Rich Nelson, senior VP and general manager for Broadcom’s set-top box and cable modem division, in a statement “By creating pre-integrated chipset platforms, our customers can create compelling new RDK-based STB designs and products and get to market quickly and effectively.”

Added Steve Heeb, president and general manager of RDK: “Thanks to Broadcom, OEMs seeking to deliver turnkey RDK video products can now build, test and deploy a range of STBs to meet the various needs of service providers around the world. We’re very pleased with their expanded support for the RDK Video Accelerator program and look forward to future collaborations.”

The White House late Monday (July 22) provided some details on a meeting between the President and seven major communications/computer firms.

The White House called the meeting "constructive," with discussion about the job market, international trade and 5G. 

Related: Tom Ridge Says Huawei Should Be Nowhere Near 5G

As to Chinese telecom Huawei, which the Trump Administration has cracked down on, then appeared to back off in hopes of using sanctions, or the lack of them, as trade leverage, the White House said the CEO's had "expressed strong support of the President’s policies, including national security restrictions on United States telecom equipment purchases and sales to Huawei."

The CEOs also said they would like to see "timely" licensing decisions out of Commerce and expressed optimism about the state of U.S. 5G "innovation and deployments."

The President has made winning the race to 5G a national priority, including finding the spectrum to fuel that effort.

CEO's on hand for the meeting were Sanjay Mehrotra of Micron; Stephen Milligan, Western Digital Corp.; Steven Mollenkopf, Qualcomm; Sundar Pichai, Google; Chuck Robbins, Cisco; Robert Swan, Intel; and Hock Tan, Broadcom.

Chipmaker Broadcom is in “advanced talks” to purchase cybersecurity software maker Symantec Corp., Bloomberg reports, citing unnamed sources close to the negotiations.

No acquisition price was reported, but Mountain View, Calif.-based Symantec has market capitalization of around $16 billion.

“Symantec would make a perfect fit for the Broadcom portfolio,” Harsh Kumar, an analyst at Piper Jaffray wrote in a note to investors.

Last year, San Jose-based Broadcom purchased software company CA Technologies for $18.9 billion. This followed a bid to purchase Qualcom that was thwarted by the Trump Administration.

Kumar said the Symantec deal is similar to Broadcom’s CA acquisition, “which ultimately turned out to be extremely successful under the Broadcom umbrella.”

Representatives for Broadcom and Symantec are not commenting at this point. 

The Consumer Technology Association is praising President Trump's decision not to boost his 10% tariff on Chinese goods, including tech products, to 25% on Jan. 1, though that could only be a reprieve.

That came after a "working" dinner with Chinese Xi Jinping following the G20 summit in Buenos Aires.

"We're encouraged to see Presidents Trump and Xi working together to reduce trade barriers between the U.S. and China," said another president. That would be Consumer Technology Association president Gary Shapiro.

Shapiro is no fan of China's restrictions on U.S. goods, but points out that in the past five months since the 10% U.S. tariffs went into effect, China's response meant the tech industry alone paid $349 million more on imported goods, a $300% increase, which he said put several companies out of business and thousands of workers on the unemployment line.

Related: Trump Levying $200 Billion in Tariffs

Following his meeting and what he called one of the biggest deals ever made--the President tends to measure the country's success in terms of deals--President Trump said they would be "holding back on tariffs.

"On January 1, 2019, he will leave the tariffs on $200 billion worth of product at the 10% rate, and not raise it to 25%," Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced following the dinner.

She also said Presidents Trump and Xi have agreed to negotiate on "forced technology transfer, intellectual property protection, non-tariff barriers, cyber intrusions and cyber theft," but if they are unable to agree on "structural changes," the tariff will be increased to 25%."

Related: CTA Says Tech Revenue Jumps But Tariffs Could Kneecap Sales

The President also signaled the Qualcomm deal to could be back on the burner: "President [Xi] has agreed that if the Qualcomm deal that they rejected -- which was one of the larger deals of its kind, which China rejected -- if that deal came back to him, he would most likely approve it quickly, which is a big thing."

That appeared to be a reference to Qualcomm buying chip manufacturer NXP, rather than the scuttled deal to buy Broadcom, which Trump blocked back in March..

The President also said the U.S. would be terminating NAFTA in the "not-too-distant-future, which he later said would be within the next six-months.

Left with little other choice after President Donald Trump stepped in to stop it, Broadcom announced Wednesday that it has withdrawn and terminated its unsolicited bid for Qualcomm.

RELATED: Trump Blocks Broadcom-Qualcomm Merger

Broadcom also announced it has withdrawn a slate of independent director nominees for Qualcomm's 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which has been moved to April 5 amid an investigation into Broadcom’s proposal by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). CFIUS reportedly found that Broadcom had violated an interim order issued in March because Broadcom, on at least three separate occasions, had taken action toward redomiciliation in the U.S. without providing the organization with at least five business days notice.

On Monday (March 12), Trump blocked the merger attempt over concerns that it posed a national security risk – a concern that Broadcom repeatedly said was unfounded.

RELATED:  Broadcom Tries to Quell National Security Concerns Amid Play for Qualcomm

Despite losing out on Qualcomm, Singapore-based Broadcom, said it will move forward with a process to redomicile to the U.S. and will hold its stockholder meeting as planned on March 23. Broadcom has said it expects to complete that process by April 3.

RELATED: Broadcom Cuts Offer for Qualcomm to $79 Per Share

“Although we are disappointed with this outcome, Broadcom will comply with the Order,” Broadcom said. “Broadcom's Board of Directors and management team sincerely appreciate the significant support we received from the Qualcomm and Broadcom stockholders throughout this process.”

Broadcom also said it appreciated the following statement from U.S. Treasury Secretary and CFIUS chair Steven Mnuchin made March 12: "This decision is based on the facts and national security sensitivities related to this particular transaction only and is not intended to make any other statement about Broadcom or its employees, including its thousands of hard working and highly skilled U.S. employees."

Though Qualcomm provided Broadcom a “mark-up” to the Broadcom proposal that aimed to resolve some of the issues it had with Broadcom’s bid, Qualcomm fought Broadcom all the way through, believing that the financial aspects of the offer undervalued Qualcomm.

Broadcom said Monday it expects to complete its redomicile to the U.S. by April 3, two days prior to the new date for Qualcomm’s annual shareholder meeting.

RELATED: Broadcom Cuts Offer for Qualcomm to $79 Per Share

Broadcom, currently based in Singapore, announced the plan to move its headquarters back to the U.S. in November, and has since made unsolicited bids to acquire Qualcomm. Broadcom said Monday that its proposal to acquire Qualcomm “has always been premised on the completion of Broadcom’s previously announced plan to redomicile.”

Broadcom is stressing that point after the U.S. Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) issued in interim order to Qualcomm to postpone the company’s’ annual stockholder meeting, which was originally was set to occur on March 6. At the meeting, currently set for April 5, Broadcom is attempting to elect six nominees to Qualcomm’s board.

RELATED: U.S. Government Seeks to Delay Qualcomm Meeting

Following up a position held last week, Broadcom said Monday that U.S. national security concerns are not a risk to closing its proposed acquisition of Qualcomm.

RELATED: Broadcom Tries to Quell National Security Concerns Amid Play for Qualcomm

“In addition, as a company incorporated in the U.S., Broadcom looks forward to working directly with the U.S. government as a trusted supplier, and continuing Qualcomm's existing engagement,” Broadcom added.

Update:Reporting Monday on Squawk on the Street, CNBC’s David Faber said CFIUS is “not happy” with Broadcom, as it had issued a letter to Broadcom that the company had violated an interim order issued in March by CFIUS because Broadcom, on at least three separate occasions, had taken action toward redomiciliation in the U.S. without providing the organization with at least five business days notice. Faber said Broadcom and CFIUS officials plan to meet Monday to cover these issues, and that this marks Broadcom’s last opportunity to tell CFIUS why it should not refer the proposed deal to the President of being blocked.  

Broadcom shares were up 3.18% ($8.06) to $261.84 each in Monday morning trading.

Qualcomm recently provided Broadcom a “mark-up” to the Broadcom proposal that, Qualcomm believes, could resolve all of the issues, save for the price, which it believes continues to undervalue Qualcomm.

Serving up a possible complication to Broadcom’s plans, Intel is considering several M&A moves, including a possible bid for Broadcom, should Broadcom’s hostile play for Qualcomm appear to be headed toward failure, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Broadcom president and CEO Hock Tan issued a letter to Congress this week in an effort to quell concerns that its unsolicited, proposed acquisition of Qualcomm could pose a national security threat while also pledging to make the U.S. “the global leader in 5G.”

RELATED: Broadcom Cuts Offer for Qualcomm to $79 Per Share

The letter, released by Broadcom today (March 9), comes days after U.S. regulators stepped in to delay Qualcomm’s annual shareholder meeting, originally set for March 6, to give investigators time to determine if Broadcom’s play for the rival chipmaker would threaten national security. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) issued an interim order to Qualcomm to postpone the company’s annual stockholder meeting.

RELATED: U.S. Government Seeks to Delay Qualcomm Meeting

The meeting had been adjourned to April 5. Tied to its unsolicited bid for Qualcomm, Broadcom is attempting to elect six nominees to Qualcomm’s board.

Broadcom is based in Singapore, but announced last November that it is moving its headquarters back to the United States.

Broadcom said it would cooperate with the U.S. government on its investigation while stressing that it “will not sell any critical national security assets to any foreign companies,” and establishing a $1.5 billion fund focused on training and educating “the next generation of RF engineers in the United States.”

The company also said it wanted to “make it clear that Broadcom is today in every important respect an American company,” noting that it’s “built on the roots” of several U.S. tech companies, including HP, AT&T, and Brocade Communications, and led by an exec team and board made up of nearly all U.S. citizens, with more than half its total workforce based in the U.S.

Qualcomm recently provided Broadcom a “mark-up” to the Broadcom proposal that, Qualcomm believes, could resolve all of the issues, save for the price, which it believes continues to undervalue Qualcomm.

There’s also a massive disagreement on who knew what and when with respect to Qualcomm’s filing with CFIUS.

Broadcom originally Qualcomm filed it in secret, without Broadcom’s knowledge, and Qualcomm countered that Broadcom’s claim had “no basis in fact,” as Broadcom had been interacting with CFIUS for weeks.

Broadcom then reiterated its position that Qualcomm failed to disclose to its stockholder and to Broadcom about the request for CFIUS review on January 29.

U.S. regulators have stepped in to delay Qualcomm’s annual shareholder meeting, originally set for Tuesday (March 6) to give investigators time to investigate whether Broadcom’s unsolicited bid for the rival chipmaker would threaten national security.

Broadcom is based in Singapore, but announced last November that it is moving its headquarters back to the United States.

RELATED: Broadcom Moving Back Stateside

Reuters reported Sunday that the U.S. Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) issued an interim order to Qualcomm to postpone the company’s annual stockholder meeting.

RELATED: Broadcom Cuts Offer for Qualcomm to $79 Per Share

Tied to its unsolicited bid for Qualcomm, Broadcom is attempting to elect six nominees to Qualcomm’s board.

Broadcom blasted the move to delay the meeting, but said it’s committed to cooperating fully with CFIUS.

“Broadcom was informed on Sunday night that on January 29, 2018, Qualcomm secretly filed a voluntary request with CFIUS to initiate an investigation, resulting in a delay of Qualcomm's Annual Meeting 48 hours before it was to take place,” Broadcom said in a statement. “This was a blatant, desperate act by Qualcomm to entrench its incumbent board of directors and prevent its own stockholders from voting for Broadcom's independent director nominees.”

Broadcom also claimed that Qualcomm didn’t mention submitting a voluntary notice to CFIUS in any of its interactions with Broadcom to date, including meetings held on February 14 and February 23.

“This can only be seen as an intentional lack of disclosure – both to Broadcom and to its own stockholders. This brings Qualcomm's ‘engagement theater’ to a new low,” Broadcom said, adding that it is committed to moving its headquarters to the U.S., and that the process is “well underway.”

Further, Broadcom claimed that its proposed acquisition of Qualcomm will not be a CFIUS-covered transaction, and that its board and senior management team consists “almost entirely of Americans.”

Last week, Qualcomm provided Broadcom a “mark-up” to the Broadcom proposal that, Qualcomm believes, could resolve all of the issues, save for the price, which it believes continues to undervalue Qualcomm.

As of 10:19 a.m. ET Monday (March 5), Qualcomm had yet to comment on the request to day the shareholder’s meeting. 

Update: Qualcomm issued a statement holding that Broadcom knew about the submissions to CFIUS, and that “this is a very serious matter for both Qualcomm and Broadcom.”

“Broadcom’s claims that the CFIUS inquiry was a surprise to them has no basis in fact,” Qualcomm said. “Broadcom has been interacting with CFIUS for weeks and made two written submissions to CFIUS.”

Qualcomm said Broadcom’s response from the CFIUS order “is a continuation of its now familiar pattern of deliberately seeking to mislead shareholders and the general public by using rhetoric rather than substance to trivialize and ignore serious regulatory and national security issues.”

Qualcomm also confirmed that, in compliance with the CFIUS order, the company will delay its annual meeting of shareholders and election of directors for at least 30 days to provide time for the CFIUS to run its investigation.

In the wake of Qualcomm’s adjusted offering for NXP, Broadcom has likewise adjusted its unsolicited offer for Qualcomm.

Broadcom’s new offer is $79 per share ($57 in cash and $22 in Broadcom shares), down from what it had already termed its “best and final” offer of $82 per share ($60 per share in cash and $22 in Broadcom stock).

Qualcomm has already rejected that earlier bid, holding that it “materially undervalues” Qualcomm and exposes the company to “unacceptably high level or risk.”

RELATED: Qualcomm Says Broadcom Meeting Didn’t Bear Fruit

Broadcom said it tweaked its offer to adjust for the Qualcomm board's decision to transfer $4.10 per Qualcomm share (or $6.2 billion of value) from Qualcomm stockholders to NXP stockholders. 

Broadcom said the move shows that Qualcomm’s board is acting against the best interests of shareholders by “unilaterally transferring excessive value to NXP's activist stockholders.”

Broadcom said its proposal would also provide for an auto-increase of $3 in cash per Qualcomm share, for a total of $82 per Qualcomm share, if Qualcomm is unable to complete the NXP acquisition.

Broadcom’s proposal also includes an $8 billion $8 billion regulatory reverse termination fee.

Broadcom is also urging Qualcomm stockholders to vote for all six Broadcom nominees to the Qualcomm board.

Qualcomm and Broadcom met on Valentine’s Day to discuss Broadcom’s unsolicited bid, but the two sides apparently did not make a love connection.

However, Qualcomm is still willing to go on another date and continue the courtship.

In a letter from the Qualcomm board chairman and the rest of the board to Broadcom president and CEO Hock Tan, the fellow chipmaker said Broadcom’s “best and final proposal” of $82 per share still “materially undervalues Qualcomm and has an unacceptably high level or risk, and therefore is not in the best interests of Qualcomm stockholders.”

RELATED: Qualcomm Board Rejects Broadcom’s Sweetened Bid

However, the Qualcomm board said it found the meeting to be constructive in that Broadcom expressed a willingness to agree to certain potential antitrust-related divestitures beyond those that Broadcom had already expressed.

But there are other roadblocks that Qualcomm found, adding that Broadcom continues to resist agreeing to other commitments that could be expected as requirements from government and regulatory bodies such as the FTC, the European Commission, and MOFCOM.

“Broadcom also declined to respond to any questions about its intentions for the future of Qualcomm’s licensing business, which makes it very difficult to predict the antitrust-related remedies that might be required,” Qualcomm said, adding that the board is open to further discussions.

Update: Broadcom has yet to issue a statement following the meeting. But speaking today on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, David Faber said: “The way it’s been termed to me, more on the Broadcom side, is it was a non-substantive discussion and a waste of time.”

This latest chapter comes after Broadcom announced it had secured funding for its sweetened bid ($60 per share in cash and $22 in Broadcom stock), and that it would cut the number of nominees it would seek for Qualcomm’s board, from 11 to six.

Broadcom kept up its fight for Qualcomm this week, announcing Monday that it had secured funding for its unsolicited bid for the chipmaker and following today with plans to reduce the number of nominees it will seek for Qualcomm’s board.

Those moves come soon after Qualcomm rejected Broadcom’s sweetened “last and final offer” of $82 per share ($60 in cash and $22 in Broadcom stock).

RELATED: Qualcomm Board Rejects Broadcom’s Sweetened Bid

Reuters reported that Qualcomm and Broadcom plan to meet Wednesday (February 14) to discuss Broadcom’s latest offer. Broadcom had urged Qualcomm to meet earlier, over the just-completed weekend.

On the funding end, Broadcom said a dozen financial institutions have agreed to provide up to $100 billion to help finance the cash component of its bid for Qualcomm, as well as a $5 billion revolving credit facility and bridge financing. Broadcom said that means it will have sufficient committed financing to fund the $60 per share cash element.

Those on board for that include BofA Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, affiliates of Deutsche Bank AG , J.P. Morgan, Mizuho, MUFG, SMBC, Wells Fargo, Scotiabank, BMO Capital Markets, RBC Capital Markets and Morgan Stanley.

As an apparent concession of sorts, Broadcom announced today that it would seek the election of six, rather than 11, nominees to the Qualcomm board at Qualcomm’s annual meeting scheduled for March 6. Broadcom’s six nominees are: Samih Elhage, David Golden, Veronica Hagen, Julie Hill, John Kispert and Harry You.

Though the number is reduced, it would still represent a majority of Qualcomm's 11-person board.

“Electing a majority of new board members is the only way for Qualcomm stockholders to obtain the benefit of Broadcom's best and final offer for Qualcomm of $82 per share, which will be withdrawn following the determination of results at the 2018 Annual Meeting unless Broadcom has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Qualcomm or Broadcom's six independent nominees are elected,” Broadcom said.

Qualcomm said its board has unanimously rejected Broadcom’s unsolicited, sweetened bid to acquire Qualcomm for $82 per share -- $60 in cash and $22 in Broadcom stock.

Broadcom announced its revised bid on February 5, calling it the company’s “best and final” offer. Last November, Broadcom originally offered $70 per share -- the same amount of cash ($60 per share), but just $10 of Broadcom shares. Qualcomm rejected that proposal too.

RELATED: Broadcom Sweetens Unsolicited Bid for Qualcomm Bid

Qualcomm said Broadcom’s latest bid “falls well short of the firm regulatory commitment the Board would demand given the significant downside risk of a failed transaction.”

Qualcomm also offered to meet with Broadcom to discuss “the serious deficiencies in value and certainty in its proposal.”

If such a meeting were to be arranged, Qualcomm would have Broadcom be ready to present the “true highest price” it would offer, holding that the $82 per share offer “materially undervalues Qualcomm,” and arguing that the proposal also does not ascribe value to Qualcomm’s proposed NXP acquisition. Qualcomm today extended its cash tender offer for all outstanding shares of NXP.

In response, Broadcom president and CEO Hock Tan said he would welcome a meeting, and that it would be willing to rendezvous today or over the weekend, but was “astonished to hear that Qualcomm is not willing to meet until Tuesday (February 13).”

“We hope that your willingness to meet with us reflects Qualcomm's genuine intent to reach an agreement with respect to our February 5 proposal,” Tan write. “After having met with most of your largest stockholders this past week, we have no doubt that this is their strong desire as well.  We urge you to meet with us without further delay, and stand ready to meet this Saturday or Sunday in New York or another mutually convenient location.”

RDK Management-- a joint venture of Comcast, Liberty Global and Charter Communications -- and Broadcom have forged a strategic development agreement that will more closely integrate chipset-level software from Broadcom with RDK’s open source software.

They believe the effort, announced as the 2018 RDK Americas Summit gets underway Wednesday in Denver, will create a common software porting layer that will simplify and standardize RDK deployments across consumer premises equipment suppliers used by video and broadband service providers around the globe.

RELATED: RDK Rides the Adoption Wave

The work all stems around the Reference Design Kit, a preintgrated software stack for video set-tops (RDK-V) and a newer flavor for gateways (RDK-B).  RDK Management and Broadcom will initially focus the agreement on RDK-V software, and include broadband gateway system-on-a-chip (SoC) and RDK-B software later.

The new effort is emerging in part because each CPE maker has typically used slightly modified SoC-layer software to support RDK-based devices, even when using the same Broadcom SoC and same version of RDK software. The revised approach, they said, will provide for a more efficient process to keep Broadcom SoC software development kit versions in sync with RDK versions.

RELATED: IBC 2017: J:COM Taps Ericsson for New Multiscreen Service

To that end, RDK Management and Broadcom will synchronize the release of new RDK versions with the new Broadcom SDK porting layer versions that Broadcom makes available to its licensees. The result, they said, will optimize and streamline the service provider’s ability to develop and deploy software used on Broadcom-powered devices.

“By simplifying and streamlining the underlying software, services providers and their CPE suppliers can focus more of their attention on enhancing customer experiences that drive business results,” Steve Heeb, president and GM of RDK Management, said in a statement.

“We believe that optimizing the RDK-SoC SDK porting layer will enable CPE manufactures and service providers to deploy and iterate even faster,” added Rich Nelson, senior vice president and general manager, of Broadcom’s set-top box and cable modem division.

RDK Management said more than 25 service providers in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia are in various stages of evaluation, testing, trials, or deployment, and more than 300 vendors (CE companies, chipmakers, software developers and system integrators) that are involved in RDK.

On the service provider side, known RDK adopters/implementers include Comcast, Cox Communications, Shaw Communications, Rogers Communications, Videotron, Liberty Global, NOS, The Quickline Group, Vodafone (formerly Kabel Deutschland), Tele Columbus, and J:Com.

Continuing its fight for Qualcomm, Broadcom said it has made its “best and final” offer to acquire all of the fellow chipmaker for $82 per share, comprised of $60 in cash per share and the remainder in Broadcom shares.

Last November, Broadcom originally offered $70 per share -- the same amount of cash ($60 per share), but just $10 of Broadcom shares.

RELATED: Broadcom Makes $130B Play for Broadcom

Broadcom said its higher, revised offer, already approved by its board, represents a 50% premium over the closing price of Qualcomm common stock on November 2, 2017, the last unaffected trading day prior to media speculation regarding a potential deal between the companies. Broadcom also said it’s a premium of 56% to Qualcomm's unaffected 30-day volume-weighted average price.  

Broadcom also reiterated that its improved offer is premised on several other potential factors, including Qualcomm acquiring NXP Semiconductors for $110 per NXP share, or if that deal is terminated, and also premised on Qualcomm not delaying or adjourning its annual meeting past March 6, 2018.

Qualcomm, which had already rejected Broadcom’s earlier (and lower) unsolicited offer, confirmed that it had received the revised offer from Broadcom and that its board will review it to determine the next course of action.

RELATED: Qualcomm Board Rejects Broadcom Bid

Broadcom expressed confidence that it’s revised proposed transaction would be completed within 12 months of the singing of a definitive agreement, but said it would pay a “ticking fee” in the form of an increase in the cash consideration due to Qualcomm stockholders if a deal was not closed within that timeframe.

Among other concessions, Broadcom said it’s also prepared to pay Qualcomm a “significant ‘reverse termination fee’” if the deal did not pass regulatory muster. The Broadcom board is also prepared to invite Paul Jacobs, executive chairman and chairman of the board at Qualcomm, and another current Qualcomm director to join the board of a merged entity.

When it announced the original bid on Nov. 6, 2017, Broadcom, a top supplier of set-top box and DOCSIS modem silicon, had argued that Qualcomm’s focus on cellular technology would make it a complementary marriage and accelerate the pace of innovation.

Qualcomm said that Broadcom’s earlier proposal “significantly undervalues” the chipmaker. Broadcom on Monday argued that its new offer is “vastly superior to Qualcomm’s standalone prospects” with our without the pending NXP transaction.

Despite some speed bumps along the way, Broadcom Friday closed its acquisition of Brocade Communications, wrapping up a deal that also has significant implications for Arris.

The Broadcom-Brocade deal close paves the way for Arris to move ahead with its $800 million acquisition of Brocade’s Ruckus Wireless and ICX switch businesses. Arris’s play for those assets was contingent on Broadcom and Brocade getting their deal done.

RELATED: Arris Puts Up $800M for Ruckus Wireless, ICX Switch Biz

Arris’s part of the deal will enable the company to further expand into areas like education, public venues, enterprise and MDUs, and greatly enhance its wireless and mobile technology portfolios.

RELATED: Arris Raises Some New Ideas About Ruckus

Arris, which has been reselling Ruckus products since 2011, has previously said the acquisition will add about 1,600 employees, and will lead to a dedicated business unit that will be led by current Ruckus COO Dan Rabinovitsj.

Arris issued this statement Friday: "As previously announced, ARRIS’s agreement to acquire Brocade’s Ruckus Wireless and ICX Switch business from Broadcom was contingent on Broadcom’s closing its Brocade acquisition. Now that Broadcom has closed its acquisition of Brocade, ARRIS expects to complete the Ruckus acquisition promptly following completion of the transaction’s review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”).  The current CFIUS investigation period ends on November 30, 2017."

We look forward to soon welcoming the Ruckus team into the ARRIS family. Ruckus’ exceptional expertise and portfolio will provide us immediate diversification into the Enterprise market and build on ARRIS’s leadership position in networking and entertainment technology.

As for the deal that’s leading to Arris’s move, Brocade’s common stock will cease to be traded on Nasdaq, and the company will operate as an indirect subsidiary of Broadcom and be led by GM Jack Rondoni. 

The closing also gives Broadcom the ability to put more focus on its unsolicited bid for Qualcomm, whose board has already rejected the bid.

Qualcomm said Monday that its board has unanimously rejected Broadcom’s $130 billion unsolicited proposal, holding that the proposal “significantly undervalues” Qualcomm’s future growth prospects.

Broadcom announced its unsolicited bid for the fellow chipmaker on November 6, offering $70 per share in cash and stock, plus $25 billion of net debt. At the time, the proposal was a 28% premium over the closing price of Qualcomm common stock on November 2, the day before reports surfaced that a proposal by Broadcom was in the works.

RELATED: Broadcom Makes $130B Play for Broadcom

Following a review of the offer, Qualcomm said Broadcom’s bid isn’t enough to move the needle, given the company’s plans to deliver advanced silicon in areas such as mobile and the Internet of Things.

RELATED: Broadcom, Qualcomm Shares Rise on M&A Chatter

“It is the Board’s unanimous belief that Broadcom’s proposal significantly undervalues Qualcomm relative to the Company’s leadership position in mobile technology and our future growth prospects,” Paul Jacobs, executive chairman and chairman of the board of Qualcomm, said, in a statement.

“No company is better positioned in mobile, IoT, automotive, edge computing and networking within the semiconductor industry.  We are confident in our ability to create significant additional value for our stockholders as we continue our growth in these attractive segments and lead the transition to 5G,” added Steve Mollenkopf, Qualcomm’s CEO.

When it announced the bid, Broadcom, a top supplier of set-top box and DOCSIS modem silicon, had argued that Qualcomm’s focus on cellular technology would make it a complementary marriage and accelerate the pace of innovation.

RELATED: Broadcom Moving Back Stateside

Broadcom has been asked for further comment.

Update: Broadcom said it is fully committed to the offer, and that its proposal stands whether or not Qualcomm is able to move ahead with its proposed acquisition of NXP Semiconductor.

"This transaction will create a strong, global company with an impressive portfolio of industry-leading technologies and products, and we have received positive feedback from key customers about this combination,” Hock Tan, Broadcom’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “We continue to believe our proposal represents the most attractive, value-enhancing alternative available to Qualcomm stockholders and we are encouraged by their reaction. Many have expressed to us their desire that Qualcomm meet with us to discuss our proposal. It remains our strong preference to engage cooperatively with Qualcomm's Board of Directors and management team."

Broadcom’s desire to acquire Qualcomm became official Monday, as it made an unsolicited bid to acquire its chip-making rival in a deal valued at $130 billion, or $70 per share in cash and stock and $25 billion of net debt.

Broadcom said its offer consists of $60 in cash and $10 per share in Broadcom shares, noting that it represents a 28% premium over the closing price of Qualcomm common stock on November 2, the day before reports surfaced that a proposal was in the works. It also represents a 33% premium on Qualcomm’s unaffected 30-day volume-weighted average price.

RELATED: Broadcom, Qualcomm Shares Rise on M&A Chatter

Broadcom noted that it offer stands whether Qualcomm consummates its pending acquisition of NXP Semiconductor.

If the Broadcom-Qualcomm deal comes to fruition, Broadcom said the combo will represent pro forma fiscal 2017 revenues of about $51 billion and EBITDA of roughly $23 billion.

The official proposal comes the week after Broadcom announced it was moving its headquarters back to the U.S. (from Singapore), a decision that drew praise from President Donald Trump.

RELATED: Broadcom Moving Back Stateside

Though the deal would combine two major chip companies, Broadcom, a key supplier of set-top box and DOCSIS modem silicon, claimed that Qualcomm’s big focus on cellular technology would make it a complementary marriage and accelerate the pace of innovation.

"This complementary transaction will position the combined company as a global communications leader with an impressive portfolio of technologies and products,” Hock Tan, Broadcom’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “We would not make this offer if we were not confident that our common global customers would embrace the proposed combination. With greater scale and broader product diversification, the combined company will be positioned to deliver more advanced semiconductor solutions for our global customers and drive enhanced stockholder value."

“Given the complementary nature of our products, we are confident that any regulatory requirements necessary to complete a combination with Qualcomm will be met in a timely manner,” added Broadcom CFO Thomas Krause.  “We look forward to engaging immediately in discussions with Qualcomm so that we can sign a definitive agreement and complete this transaction expeditiously."

Qualcomm confirmed that it has received the unsolicited proposal from Broadcom, and that its board and advisors will assess in before deciding a course of action.

Broadcom said BofA Merrill Lynch, Citi, Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley have advised Broadcom in writing that they are highly confident that they will be able to arrange the necessary debt financing for the proposed transaction. 

Additionally, Silver Lake Partners, a strategic partner to Broadcom in prior transactions, has provided Broadcom with a commitment letter for a $5 billion convertible debt financing in connection with the transaction.

In a letter to Qualcomm shareholders, Broadcom said it was likewise confident that the proposed deal “will receive all necessary approvals in a timely manner.”

In a move that would fill a wireless gap in its technology repertoire, Arris is in talks to acquire Brocade Communications’s networking equipment business for up to $1 billion, Reuters reported.

Arris declined to comment on the report, but the company, which is a year removed from its acquisition of U.K.-based set-top maker Pace plc and a major supplier to cable operators, telcos and other service providers, has shown interest in growing its business by way of adjacent markets.

RELATED: Arris Wraps Up Pace Acquisition

Arris CFO Dave Potts hit on that topic Thursday (Jan. 12) at the Needham Growth Conference.

“As we continue to grow, we believe it’s possible we could get into adjacent markets, which could mean….as an example in wireless,” he said. “What happens to wireless over time – should we be more heavily into that? We’re always focused on what those next opportunities could really be.”

Arris’s reported interest in the networking unit of Brocade appears to come as wireless becomes a more important strategic focus for cable operators, which are already deploying millions of WiFi hotspots, while others, including Comcast and Charter Communications, have been pursuing wireless services that lean on MVNO agreements with providers such as Verizon.

RELATED: Charter Looking at Wireless Play Too

Arris already has some ties into the business of Brocade it is reported to be eyeing.

Brocade acquired WiFi specialist Ruckus Wireless in 2016, then Broadcom put up $5.5 billion for Brocade later in the year, though Broadcom announced an intention to sell off Brocade’s IP networking business, which includes wireless and campus networking products, data center switching and routing and software networking solutions. Arris isn’t interested in buying Brocade’s data center, switching and software assets tied to its anticipated divestiture, Reuters said.

Ruckus and Arris inked a global reselling deal in 2011, and continues to hawk several Ruckus products, including network controllers/gateways, analytics software, and WiFi access points.

RELATED: Ruckus Shares Soar on $1.2B Brocade Deal

Reuters said a sale of its networking business to Arris, or others that are also being courted, would ensure that Broadcom wouldn’t own a business that competes with clients such as Cisco Systems. The report added that a decision on a deal is expected by the end of January.

Arris shares closed Friday up 52 cents (1.78%) to $29.71 each. 

MaxLinear has unveiled the first chipset to support MoCA 2.5, a new home networking spec for in-home coax networks that supports speeds up to 2.5 Gbps and play nicely alongside cable’s emerging multi-gigabit DOCSIS 3.1 platform.

MaxLinear timed the introduction of its MoCA 2.5 silicon, the MxL3710, with this week’s CableLabs Summer Conference in Keystone, Colo.

It said the MxL3710 is pin-compatible to the chipmaker’s new MoCA 2.0 bonded IC, the MxL3705, which delivers up to 1.2 Gbps of MAC throughput. Pin compatibility allows OEMs to upgrade their existing MxL3705 designs for 2.5 Gbps applications, the company said.

MaxLinear noted that the MxL3710 features an “enhanced mode” that will deliver up to 3.0 Gbps of throughput when communicating with other MxL3710 nodes in the same network.

MoCA 2.5, which will ultimately be integrated in home gateways and other CPE, will interoperate with MoCA 1.1 and 2.0, which supports data rates of up to 1 Gbps. MoCA tech is used today mostly for whole-home DVRs and in bridge devices that help to beef up home networks. 

The Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) introduced the 2.5 spec in April, anticipating then that a certification test plan would be available in a year or less. MoCA is also said to be working on MoCA 3.0, a next-gen platform that will aim to deliver capacities of up to 10 Gbps within the next three to five years.

“Given the recent ratification of the MoCA 2.5 standard, the Multimedia over Coax Alliance is delighted to see MaxLinear set the pace with its MoCA 2.5 offering, Charlie Cerino, president of MoCA, said in a statement.

MaxLinear, which got into the MoCA game via its 2015 acquisition of Entropic, competes in that sector with Broadcom.

“With regard to MoCA 2.5, I don't think there's going to any player who is going to have MoCA 2.5 anytime soon,” MaxLinear CEO Kishore Seendripu said Monday on the company’s earnings call.

MaxLinear, he added, is also making progress with DOCSIS 3.1 in partnership with Intel.

“We expect initial product rollouts [of D3.1 product] in the fourth quarter of 2016 and into the first half of 2017,” he said, but didn’t expect early shipments of D3.1 products to impact the company’s current guidance.

MaxLinear posted Q2 revenues of $101.7 million, up 44% year-on-year, and net income of $22.6 million, or 33 cents per diluted share. It expects Q3 revenue of between $94 million and $98 million. 

Sagemcom confirmed that a chipset from Broadcom is powering the F@st 3890, a cable modem gateway that was recently certified by CableLabs for DOCSIS 3.1, cable’s new multi-gig platform for HFC networks.

According to Sagemcom, its first D3.1-certified product , which also integrates 4x4 dual-band 802.11ac WiFi, uses the Broadcom  BCM3390 chip.

In January, Broadcom said “multiple” cable modem vendors achieved D3.1 certification from CableLabs with its silicon. Though not every vendor has confirmed as much, industry sources say the other suppliers that have achieved D3.1 certification so far – Netgear, Ubee Interactive, Technicolor, CastelNet and Askey – all did so with products that use Broadcom silicon.

Intel, working with MaxLinear, is also pushing D3.1-based silicon in the market and is expected to be powering a new line of products poised to obtain CableLabs certification. STMicroelectronics announced plans to develop DOCSIS 3.1 chips, but announced in January that it wasexciting the set-top and gateway business. An industry source said that STMicro is looking to sell its DOCSIS technology, and that Huawei might be among the interested suitors.

Broadcom Corp. said “multiple” cable modem vendors have achieved DOCSIS 3.1 certification from CableLabs with products powered by its BCM3390 chipset.

Five suppliers – Askey Computer, CastleNet, Netgear, Technicolor and Ubee Interactive – recently achieved D3.1 certification for their respective cable modem models. All are believed to be based on Broadcom’s chipset, though only one of the group, Ubee, has confirmed as much so far. 

Intel Corp. (in partnership with MaxLinear) and STMicroelectronics are also developing DOCSIS 3.1-based chipsets.

CableLabs certification is required for vendors to sell cable modems at retail, and is typically a technical achievement required by MSOs that buy DOCSIS-powered devices that are leased to broadband customers.

DOCSIS 3.1 is targeting capacities of up to 10 Gbps down and at least 1 Gbps upstream.

However, Broadcom’s first D3.1-based platform, which will support DOCSIS 3.0 and DOCSIS 3.1 transmissions, will handle downloads up to 5 Gbps and 2 Gbps-plus in the upstream when fully loaded. It’ll do that by supporting D3.1’s spec requirements of two OFDM-based 192 MHz-wide downstream channels and 32 single-carrier DOCSIS QAM downstream channels, plus two 96 MHz-wide OFDM-A upstream blocks and eight single-carrier DOCSIS QAM upstream channels.

Broadcom noted that the certified products include support for beefier upstreams (mid-splits up to 85 MHz and top-splits that raise the ceiling to 204 MHz). North American DOCSIS systems are typically limited to a range of 5 MHz to 42 MHz.

Broadcom said the BCM3390 is currently available, and expects production volumes of DOCSIS 3.1-certified cable modem and residential gateways based on the chipset to start in the first half of 2016.

"The speed with which the DOCSIS 3.1 specification and certification has been completed underscores the competitive landscape of offering Gigabit-speed services to residential subscribers," said Dan Marotta, Broadcom EVP and GM of Broadcom’s Broadband & Connectivity Group, said in a statement. "Broadcom was first to lead the market with hardware for cable operators to expand their broadband services, and is now the first DOCSIS 3.1 silicon to receive CableLabs' certification as well."

The achievement also earned praise from two MSOs that are aggressively pursuing DOCSIS 3.1 strategies.

"DOCSIS 3.1 technology is vital for Comcast. Earlier this year we installed the world's first DOCSIS 3.1 modem on a customer-facing network and before the end of 2016 we will begin offering DOCSIS 3.1-powered gigabit service to customers in several parts of the country," added Tony Werner, EVP and CTO of Comcast. "I applaud Broadcom for its progress on certification process, which helps to create a clear path for technology that will enhance our customers' online experiences."

"Our customers expect us to stay ahead of the curve in providing the latest broadband services and content," said Balan Nair, Liberty Global’s EVP and CTO. "Broadcom's smooth passage through the DOCSIS 3.1 certification process helps the cable industry continue on this journey as we all look to new ways in which we can deliver our customers an even better experience."

Chip and gateway makers at this week’s IBC show in Amsterdam are showing off a new line of gear based on DOCSIS 3.1, the emerging multi-gigabit platform for HFC networks.

DOCSIS 3.1 trials and deployments are expected to start late this year and begin to ramp up in 2016. CableLabs has opened up certification testing for DOCSIS 3.1-based products. 

-Broadcom unveiled trio of DOCSIS 3.1-based devices for the Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP), a high-density system that combines the functions of the cable modem termination system and the edge QAM./

Broadcom said those products – the BCM3047, BCM31442 and BCM3222 -- enable CCAP vendors to build and deploy DOCSIS 3.1-compliant equipment. Early adopters of Broadcom's DOCSIS 3.1 technology include cable operators such as Comcast and Liberty Global, and CCAP equipment suppliers such as Arris and Harmonic, Broadcom said.

"Today's new CCAP infrastructure devices, combined with the BCM3390 cable modem platform, provide a complete DOCSIS 3.1-based silicon solution with advanced capabilities that effectively compete with speeds offered by fiber deployments,” said Dan Marotta, EVP and  GM of Broadcom’s Broadband & Connectivity Group, in a statement.

"End-to-end DOCSIS 3.1 technology, in both cable infrastructure and cable modems, is critical for subscribers to receive Gigabit speeds in the home," added Balan Nair, Liberty Global’s EVP and CTO. "DOCSIS 3.1 is making it possible for Liberty Global to deliver enhanced services to consumers later this year."

The BCM3047 is a single-chip transmitter that can enable transmission up to 1.2 GHz on the cable plant; the BCM31442 Receiver is a burst receiver built on D3.1 specs that can support up to 300 MHz of upstream spectrum; and the BCM3222 MAC device is capable of supporting up to 25 Gbps, Broadcom said, noting that all three chips are currently sampling.

-Intel will be showing off the Puma 7 systems-on-chip, which is built on the company’s 14nm process technology. The platform, Intel said, will also integrate support for 4x4 802.11ac WiFi. Arris is evidently one of its early D3.1 CPE partners.

“We are continually evolving our advanced HFC network to ensure that our customers have the best, fastest high-speed Internet service available. DOCSIS 3.1 is a pillar of that evolution and fundamental to our plan to offer new gigabit speed tiers to our customers,” said Tony Werner, executive vice president and CTO at Comcast, in a statement. We are excited about Intel’s use of its latest generation 14nm process technology to drive better energy efficiency and enable compelling new form factors for cable broadband gateways.”

-Sagemcom introduced the F@st 3890, a DOCSIS 3.1-based media gateway equipped with 4x4 MU-MIMO 802.11ac WiFi. Sagemcom’s entry, like other early D3.1 modem entrants, will be hybrids that can support both DOCSIS 3.1 and DOCSIS 3.0-based traffic. The device also bakes in SWAN, the French supplier’s modular software suite for apps and services.

-And there’s some news on the DOCSIS 3.0 front. Celeno Communications has teamed with STMicroelectronics on a D3.0 reference design that integrates Celeno’s WiFi 802.11ac and 802.11n chips with ST’s Alicante CableLabs-certified chipset.

Gigabit Internet speeds are right around the corner and about to release technological potential that has been constrained for far too long. Fueled by consumer demand for ever faster and more reliable broadband and Internet, cable operators are getting ready for mass deployment of Gigabit speeds to cable subscribers throughout the country.

Capable of delivering a dramatic increases in speed, Gigabit broadband which will radically alter how consumers currently apply and interact with Internet technology, and create avenues to innovation and applications that have yet to be explored. Gigabit speeds have the potential to improve education and distance learning, close the digital divide by providing equal access to all and extend online healthcare to remote areas, all while accelerating economic development.

So what’s driving the demand for Gigabit broadband? Just a few short years ago, the average household had an average of two or three devices connected to the home network. Today, in the Internet of Things (IoT) era, the number of “connected” devices is growing at an astounding rate, resulting in a substantial increase in the average number of connections per household. In addition, the use of the Internet has evolved. Gone are the days of viewing simple web pages, consumers now leverage the Internet for streaming over-the-top video content, cloud storage, sharing high resolution images, interactive online gaming and more. Suddenly, the average U.S. Internet connection of 11.5 Mbps is no longer enough.

Yet enhancing Internet speeds for consumers is only part of the story. The real excitement comes from removing the bottleneck for developers, without the confines of a typical 11.5 Mbps connection. Although some question the need for a 100x increase in speed, our inability to wrap our minds around the potential for Gigabit Broadband is understandable. Thomas Watson, the legendary IBM CEO, is quoted in 1943 as stating “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers”. Gigabit broadband is like that. Super-fast lines will allow us to do things that we couldn’t imagine doing with today’s Internet.

Stars Aligned for Gigabit Services

The stars started to align in December of 2012, when Google’s Eric Schmidt announced a shift of the company’s Google Fiber program from being an “experiment” to being run as a business. Within weeks, in January of 2013, then-FCC chairman Julius Genachowski issued the “Gigabit City Challenge” to establish at least one Gigabit community in all 50 states by the close of 2015.

Google’s Fiber program may have been the spark to light the fuse — Gigabit services have fostered healthy competition among Internet and telecommunications providers, who are now in a position to consider not “if” but “when and how” to deploy Gigabit broadband in order to meet consumer’s perceived “need for speed” and maintain their competitive edge.

The combination of federal support for faster Internet speeds and ISP competition is good news for home and small-business users who are just beginning to grasp the potential of Gigabit Internet speeds. AT&T, Comcast, Cox Communications and Liberty Global have each pledged Gigabit coax rollouts within the coming year. And Comcast has gone so far as to offer speeds of 2 Gbps in certain areas. For cable operators, what makes this possible is DOCSIS 3.1 technology, which provides service providers with the tools to offer multi-Gigabit speeds, traditionally associated with fiber, quickly and easily – and without tearing up the ground in front of homes or city streets.

Communities and municipalities are now using their Gigabit broadband speeds as a competitive advantage in selling homes and attracting new businesses. According to a recent study from the Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Council found that communities with widely-available gigabit access have experienced a positive impact on economic activity where gigabit services are widely available.

A Rush for Consumers & Developers

For the average home user numb to the effects of traditional broadband and Internet speeds, Gigabit rates will come as a satisfying rush. Of course, any bandwidth improvement is subject to more data, so the move to Gigabit networks comes just in time for the rollout of Ultra High Definition (Ultra HD) broadcasts and content. With Gigabit broadband, multiple streams of 4K video will be possible, with plenty of bandwidth to spare.

4K content may have to share the limelight with more intriguing and imaginative applications of high-bandwidth pipes to the home. A good oracle as to what those applications might be the Pew Research Center’s 2014 report, Killer Apps in the Gigabit Age. The Center asked thousands of experts and Internet builders to share their thoughts on applications and activities that might emerge in the Gigabit age, here are some of their thoughts:

-New forms of gaming, such as ones integrating daily life

-Remote medicine and distance learning

-Telepresence (Thanksgiving shared remotely)

-Virtual conferencing; ability to be “anywhere, anytime”

-More sensor data being collected and stored; cloud apps offering richer services

-Two-way, persistent, high-quality video to replace recorded video

-Interactions with doctors, educators and merchants becoming more lifelike

-Augmented reality, virtual environments and life logging

In an era in which consumers demand both high-quality broadcasts and high-bandwidth streaming television content, real-time interactive gaming, and remote home monitoring, Gigabit broadband is arriving right on cue.

About the author:Rich Nelson serves as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Broadband & Connectivity Group at Broadcom Corporation. In this role he is responsible for driving the company’s system-on-chip (SoC) strategies for the worldwide set-top box (STB), digital television (DTV) and cable modem end markets. Nelson holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University. Reach the author @broadcom.

STMicroelectronics officially tossed its hat into the DOCSIS 3.1 ring Tuesday with the unveiling of a chipset designed for an emerging platform that will deliver multi-gigabit speeds over HFC networks.

STMicro’s new D3.1-based chip, the STiD325 (codenamed “Barcelona”), is currently sampling with “lead customers.” The chipmaker, which will compete in the DOCSIS 3.1 CPE sector against Broadcom and Intel, has not announced any vendors that will use the STiD325 in broadband CPE products, but noted that it has participated in the CableLabs Acceptance Test Plan development committees and interoperability tests.

The company also stated that the Barcelona “early platform” operated successfully in what it called the world’s first end-to-end DOCSIS 3.1 field test conducted earlier this year. STMicro didn’t go into further detail, but Comcast has been conducting field trials of DOCSIS 3.1-based traffic, and revealed last month that it expects to follow with a market trial in the fourth quarter of 2015.

STMicro, which is demonstrating its new cable broadband tech at this week’s CableLabs Summer Conference in Keystone, Colo., said the STiD325 is for a wide range of broadband CPE products, including stand-alone cable modems, embedded media terminal adapters (which support cable  VoIP), as well as video gateways. Barcelona also supports RDK-B, a version of the Reference Design Kit software stack that’s made to work with broadband devices and set-top boxes. Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global are managing the RDK.

STMicro’s Barcelona chipset will be a hybrid in the sense that it will support both DOCSIS 3.0 and DOCSIS 3.1 traffic. On the D3.1 side, it will handle two blocks of 196 MHz-wide OFDM downstream spectrum, and two 96 MHz-wide OFDM-A upstream channel blocks; on the D3.0 end, the chipset will support 32 single-carrier QAM downstream channels and 8 upstream QAM channels. While DOCSIS 3.1 is designed for capacities of up to 10 Gbps downstream and at least 1 Gbps upstream, the initial wave of D3 .1 modems will support about 5 Gbps/1Gbps when fully loaded.

"Prepared to be among the first commercial DOCSIS 3.1 deployments, our innovative platform architecture supports our ambition to make Barcelona a reference in the Cable industry," said Philippe Notton, group vice president and general manager of STMicroelectronics' Consumer Product Division, in a statement. "As a standalone for multi-gigabit cable gateways or combined with our Monaco SoC for an UltraHD media gateway, ST can offer complete solutions for fast design."

All signs indicate that the latter half of 2015 will usher in a number of service provider deployments of Ultra HD (4K) TV. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone: With the promise of a dramatically immersive TV viewing experience, consumers have been purchasing 4K TVs at an accelerating clip. The average price of an Ultra HD set has dropped at a dramatic pace since they first debuted in 2013 – falling 95% or more in some cases. Ultra HD-enabled set-top boxes are also becoming broadly available. Ultra HD content and service providers are gearing up to meet increased demand for 4K programming options.

Ultra HD TV Sales on the Rise

Falling costs are a big factor in consumer adoption of Ultra HD technology. Demand for 4K TVs is soaring worldwide as entry-level price points drop well below $1000, model availability expands, and consumers seek out the next best technology as they upgrade aging flat-panel TVs.

For example, the 80+ inch Ultra HD TVs announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2013 were priced at more than $20,000. Today, Ultra HD TVs from widely available brands such as Samsung and Sony start at just $799; Sharp and Vizio sets start at just $599.

That said, the capability to display crystal-clear Ultra HD is just one piece of the 4K ecosystem. At the heart of the technology are the enabling coding standards that allow service providers to move bit-rate-intensive Ultra HD TV through legacy pipes. The High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard allows operators to transmit content at 50% of the bit rate previously required.

The forecast from multiple independent market research firms point to a dramatic rise in Ultra HD TV sales. According to ABI Research, more than 60% of U.S. homes will own an Ultra HD TV by 2020 (see chart). It is possible these penetration rates could prove conservative if manufacturers make a full or near-full transition to Ultra HD.

Content is King

As Ultra HD becomes more mainstream, content developers have been working behind the scenes to prepare for the transition. Service providers such as Amazon announced its release of 4K content services in December of 2014, while streaming video provider Netflix announced its release of an expanded folio of 4K content with deployments planned for later this year. Google’s YouTube, with its new VP9 coding scheme, is also offering Ultra HD content.

Meanwhile, Ultra HD set-top boxes, a critical component in the Ultra HD infrastructure, have been announced by providers from around the globe including British Telecom, Comcast, DirecTV, DISH, Sky Deutschland, Technicolor and TiVo as well as an Android TV platform available from Freebox in France.

Clearly, 2015 is shaping up to be an exciting milestone in truly immersive TV, combining a telepresence-like experience with readily available, high-quality content, low-cost TVs and equipment.

Rich Nelson serves as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Broadband & Connectivity Group at Broadcom Corporation. In this role he is responsible for driving the company’s system-on-chip (SoC) strategies for the worldwide set-top box (STB), digital television (DTV) and cable modem end markets. Nelson holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Masters of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University. 

Taking aim at cable’s next-gen IP platform, Broadcom has introduced a DOCSIS 3.1-based cable set-top box reference design that also supports 4K/Ultra HD video and gigabit WiFi. 

The design, dubbed the BCM93390VMS52, can support IP capacity of 5 Gbps downstream and 2 Gbps upstream, Broadcom said. Broadcom unveiled its first DOCSIS 3.1-based chipset, the BCM93390, in January. Intel and STMicroelectronics are among the known companies that are also developing DOCSIS 3.1 modem silicon. 

DOCSIS 3.1 is being designed to handle up to 10 Gbps down and at least 1 Gbps upstream. 

Notably, Comcast previewed a D3.1-based “Gigabit Home Gateway” at the recent INTX show in Chicago. 

Broadcom, which is in the process of being acquired by Avago for $37 billion said its new  chipset will also feature 10-bit HEVC-enabled Ultra HD video decoding (via Broadcom's BCM7252S), MoCA 2.0 (for in-home networking over coax),  WiFi speeds up to 2.2 Gbps at 5GHz and 1 Gbps at 2.4GHz with support for the 802.11ac Wave 2 specs. 

The BCM3390M DOCSIS 3.1 device and BCM93390VMS52 set-top box reference design with integrated 802.11ac WiFi are currently sampling. Broadcom said it is demonstrating the BCM93390VMS52 at this week’s ANGA COM event in Cologne, Germany. 

"Competition among service providers is driving an increase in Gigabit Internet speeds and 4K IP video around the world. Broadcom is bringing to market an extraordinary set-top box reference design that gives service providers a platform to enable the best connectivity performance available today," said John Gleiter, VP of marketing at Broadcom’s Broadband & Connectivity Group. "With Broadcom's latest platform, service providers and OEMs can immediately begin to leverage the value of DOCSIS 3.1 to provide their customers with market-leading Gigabit broadband data speeds, the highest-speed dual concurrent 4x4 Wi-Fi for streaming Internet content to wireless devices and Ultra HD cable TV experiences."

In case you haven’t heard, scale is now the name of the game.

In a deal that puts it squarely in the cable tech sector, Avago Technologies said will acquire Broadcom for $37 billion, including $17 billion in cash and the economic equivalent of 140 million Avago ordinary shares valued at $20 million.

Under the deal, Broadcom shareholders are poised to own about 32% of the combined company, which will be named Broadcom Limited.  

In addition to adding Broadcom’s wireless technology and expertise, Avago, which is incorporated in Singapore, also stands to become a major player in cable, as Broadcom is a top supplier of set-top box chips, including those based on the Reference Design Kit and that integrate Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) capabilities, and silicon that powers DOCSIS-based cable modems and gateways, as well as DSL and fiber-to-the-home equipment.  

With respect to DOCSIS, Broadcom is one of three chipmakers known to be developing modem chips for DOCSIS 3.1, the emerging CableLabs-specified platform that will bring multi-gigabit speeds to HFC networks. Intel, which acquired Texas Instruments’ cable modem business in 2010, and STMicroelectronics are the other two that are working on D3.1-based chips. Broadcom unveiled at D3.1-based reference design, the BCM93390, in January.

Avago estimates that the deal, which will build on its wireless, enterprise storage and wired infrastructure chip business, will create a behemoth with a combined $77 billion enterprise value and combined annual revenues of about $15 billion. Avago estimates that the merger will also generate $750 million in annual cost synergies that can be achieved within 18 months. The deal is posed to be immediately accretive to non-GAAP earnings and free cash flow.

When the deal closes, Hock Tan, president and CEO of Avago, will serve in the same role at the combined company, which will be renamed Broadcom Limited. Dr. Henry Samueli, co-fonder and CTO and chairman of Broadcom, will join the board of and serve as CTO of the combined company. Dr. Henry T. Nicholas, co-Founder and past CEO of Broadcom, will serve in a strategic advisory role, reporting to Tan. They did not identify a post-closing role for Scott McGregor, Broadcom’s current president and CEO.

Avago and Broadcom said the deal has been unanimously approved by their respective boards and a special committee of the independent directors of Broadcom. They expect to deal to close before the end of Q1 2016.

"Today's announcement marks the combination of the unparalleled engineering prowess of Broadcom with Avago's heritage of technology from HP, AT&T, and LSI Logic, in a landmark transaction for the semiconductor industry," Tan said in a statement. "The combination of Avago and Broadcom creates a global diversified leader in wired and wireless communication semiconductors. Avago has established a strong track record of successfully integrating companies onto its platform. Together with Broadcom, we intend to bring the combined company to a level of profitability consistent with Avago's long-term target model."

"When Henry Nicholas and I founded Broadcom, we had a vision of creating the world leader in communications semiconductors. Today's announcement is a continuation of that vision and we could not think of a better partner for the future than Avago," added Samueli

"The culture that Henry and I created when we founded Broadcom was demanding, execution-oriented, and certainly not guaranteed to mesh with the average technology company," Nicholas said. "It was, however, a culture that enabled Broadcom to grow exponentially and emerge as the market leader in every major market segment involving broadband communications. In Avago, we have found a culture and a management team that embody the best of the philosophies on which Broadcom was founded, together with a fast-paced, no-nonsense, process-driven business culture that we need to take our combined company to the next level. I am confident that, under the visionary leadership of Hock Tan, the combined company will realize its potential to be the world's greatest semiconductor company."

Execs with MaxLinear and Entropic Communications used a conference call on Tuesday afternoon to amplify the reasons why they think a proposed merger makes sense, holding that they complement each other technologically and financially and, together, will strengthen their position in the connected home.

So far, Wall Street seems to like the deal and the potential it will give the combined entity to pursue a broader addressable market. In mid-afternoon trading Wednesday, Entropic shares were up 35 cents ($12.78%) to $3.05 each, while MaxLinear shares enjoyed 24 cent rise (2.82%) to $8.76.

The financial terms of the deal value Entropic at $3.01 per share, based on MaxLinear’s closing price on February 2, so it’s already trading above that.

And the value of the deal is already receiving some static. A handful of securities and shareholder rights law firms, including Tripp Levy, Rigrodsky & Long, Johnson & Weaver, and Brower Piven, have already swooped in to announce they are investigating the proposed deal, holding that MaxLinear’s offer undervalues Entropic. Some cite analyst projections that the stock is worth at least $5 per share.

Back to the call, Dr. Kishore Seendripu, MaxLinear’s CEO, discussed the parallels and complementary assets each side brings to the table,  noting that the combined entity have several shared customers, including Arris, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Cox Communications, DirecTV, Dish Network, Time Warner Cable and Pace, among others.

“Financially, this is a great fit,” he proclaimed, presenting data showing that MaxLinear and Entropic are similar in scale and both are well capitalized -- $185 million in cash between them ($79 million from MaxLinear and $106 million from  Entropic).

While use of WiFi for video distribution continues to surge, MaxLinear still sees plenty of potential for Entropic’s Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) technology – used as a high-speed IP backbone for whole-home DVRs and home networking adapters. “We see MoCA as the connectivity technology of choice in north America from a quality of service perspective,” Seendripu said, citing MoCA’s adoption by cable operators and telco and satellite TV operators.

He also said MaxLinear intends to follow through with Entropic’s current plans for set-top systems-on-chip (SoCs) – to support current products and design opportunities, but won’t invest in the development of new set-top box SoC products.

Dr. Ted Tewskbury, Entropic’s interim president and CEO, said his company conducted an extensive review and “believes this to be best outcome for Entropic shareholders.”

While it’s business as usual for Entropic as the deal gets reviewed, Tewksbury did note that Entropic’s near-term potential is being driven by SoCs in HD-DTA devices, “which are showing a great deal of strength.” Entropic got into the set-top SoC game in 2012 via a $65 million acquisition of Trident Microsystems. At the time, it was viewed as a deal that would position Entropic to tangle with Broadcom. 

With SoCs not to be a part of the game plan long term, Seendripu downplayed such comparisons, calling it a “misconception” that a driver of Entropic acquisition is about pitting MaxLinear against Broadcom.

“We respect what Broadcom has done…they’re an incredible company to look up to, actually,” he said, adding that MaxLinear will be sticking to its core strategy to be a “world-class RF mixed signal PHY company.” 

With HDMI streaming sticks from Google, Roku and Amazon still all the rage, it follows that the cable operators will eventually offer set-tops box in this popular form-factor.

While we’ve already seen Alticast trot out demos of an  RDK-based set-top-on-a-stick, Broadcom used this week’s International CES to show a new design, the BCM72502, that will serve as the innards of HDMI sticks capable of providing “operator-level functionality and security.”

As for what’s going inside Broadcom’s design, it will pack an HEVC decoder and HDMI 2.0 (elements that will be key as operators expand into 4K video), 802.11ac WiFi for in-home wireless distribution, and an option for Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) 2.0.

Boiled down, the platform, which is currently sampling, will give MSOs the ability to tap into designs that so far have been relegated to the OTT world, but pack enough punch to deliver “full-featured set-top box functionality.”

According to Broadcom, MSOs will have the option to use the same platform to provide full-service IPTV using a multi-room gateway/client architecture, to a standalone dongle for “entry level” OTT offerings.

Las Vegas -- Amid all the new 4K TVs, connected wearables and other fancy gadgets, this year’s International CES has also served as a progress report of sorts for DOCSIS 3.1, cable’s next-gen IP platform that will be capable of delivering up to 10 Gbps downstream and as much as 2 Gbps in the upstream.

As we reported Tuesday, Broadcom used the show to introduce the first D3.1-based CPE reference design, dubbed the BCM93390.  I had a chance to drop by the Broadcom booth, and they did in fact have a living, breathing design that was kicking out about 4 Gbps in the downstream, tying it to a prototype FPGA-powered cable modem termination system (CMTS). 

And what you see here is just an initial design for OEM partners to follow as they develop the actual DOCSIS 3.1 modem and gateway products. Jay Kirchoff, VP of marketing for Broadcom's broadband and connectivity group, said the chipmaker will be working to shrink it down posthaste. Broadcom is sampling the design now, and is in verification for production for the second half of 2015.

And new D3.1 products will cost more than a DOCSIS 3.0 design – no surprise, since the initial wave of D3.1 products will be hybrids that support both DOCSIS 3.0 and DOCSIS 3.1 traffic, a decision that will help cable operators seed the network with D3.1 CPE as they migrate to the new platform.

As a reminder, CableLabs is expected to start official D3.1 certification  testing by mid-year. Some big operators, including Comcast and Liberty Global, are expected to move ahead with initial deployments in the second half of the year.

And Broadcom wasn’t the only silicon vendor getting its DOCSIS 3.1 on here at CES. STMicroelectronics  is also demonstrating its platform. A spokesman said the chipmaker has been demoing its wares with CMTSs from Arris and Cisco Systems, and confirmed that the company was one of six vendors that participated in last month’s CableLabs DOCSIS 3.1 plugfest.

Broadcom is using this week’s International CES to unveil its first system-on-a-chip based on DOCSIS 3.1, the emerging CableLabs spec that is paving a path toward multi-gigabit speeds over HFC networks.

Broadcom, the first chipmaker to introduce a D3.1-based chipset, unveiled the BCM93390, a modem reference design that also bakes in 802.11ac WiFi radios that, it claims, can also pump out in-home wireless speeds of up to 2 Gbps.

Intel and STMicroelectronics, which is demonstrating DOCSIS 3.1 here at the show, are among the other chipmakers known to be developing DOCSIS 3.1 silicon.

The initial crop of DOCSIS 3.1 modems will be hybrids in that they will also be capable of supporting both DOCSIS 3.0 and DOCSIS 3.1 traffic. The aim there is to provide cable operators with a relatively smooth migration path as they light up fresh DOCSIS 3.1 spectrum.

As for Broadcom’s entry, the company said it complies with the D3.1 specs, meaning it will feature support for two OFDM (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing) channels that are each 196-MHz wide, two 96 MHz OFDM-A upstream channels, 32 single-carrier DOCSIS 3.0 QAM downstream channels, and 8 single-carrier DOCSIS 3.0 QAM upstream channels.

Broadcom noted that the chip also integrates PacketCable voice and e-router apps, as well as RDK-B, an emerging, unified version of the preintegrated software stack for set-tops as well as DOCSIS-powered broadband gateways. The original version of the Reference Design Kit, which is being managed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global, supported only hybrid QAM/IP and IP-only video devices.

Broadcom said the BCM93390 DOCSIS 3.1 design is currently sampling, and did not announce pricing or when it expects the SoC to reach commercial availability.

CableLabs, which conducted its first D3.1 interop last month and will host its second one later this month, expects to start official DOCSIS 3.1 certification and qualification testing as early as the second quarter of 2015.

DOCSIS 3.1 is a more efficient platform that aims to support capacities of up to 10 Gbps downstream and at least 1 Gbps upstream by utilizing blocks of OFDM subcarriers and a the introduction of the Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) forward error correction scheme. In addition to paving the way toward cable’s eventual all-IP migration, DOCSIS 3.1 will enable cable operators to deploy gigabit speeds on a broad basis without having to pull fiber all the way to the premises. 

Broadcom’s announcement also shed some light on when some of the world’s largest cable operators expect to start rolling out DOCSIS 3.1.

“The next generation of DOCSIS technology supports the Gigabit speeds our subscribers will increasingly demand over time,” said Balan Nair, Liberty Global’s EVP and CTO, in a statement. “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.”

“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,” added Comcast EVP and CTO Tony Werner. “By more effectively using our cable plant to grow our total throughput, we expect to offer our customers more than 1 Gigabit speeds in their homes in 2015 and beyond.”  

Pace is using this week’s Cable-Tec Expo in Denver to springboard a range of new DOCSIS 3.0-powered gateways, including a high-end “Ultra” model that can bond up to 24 downstream channels – enough to support bursts of 960 Mbps on cable systems that use 6 MHz-wide channels.

The new line of products, which are based on Broadcom silicon, also bake in dual-band 802.11n (2.4 GHz) and 802.11ac (5 GHz) functionality.

Here’s a snapshot of the models that Pace is debuting this week:

-D5001 Ultra Gateway – D3 gateway (24x8 channel configuration), with MoCA 2.0, and dual band 802.11 n/ac.     

-D3001 Max Gateway – D3 gateway (16x4), with MoCA 2.0, and dual band 802.11 n/ac.     

-D3003 Advanced Gateway – D3 gateway (16x4) with dual band 802.11 n/ac.  

Pace, which will compete in the gateway market against vendors such as Arris, Hitron, Cisco Systems and Netgear, said the full line is compatible with TiVo systems and integrated into Pace’s Whole Home architecture, which features the MG1 Multi-tuner Video Gateway and Mi3 client devices. The models also feature TR-069 and SNMPv3 for remote management.

“As a strategic partner of Pace for many years, we are very proud to be supporting them as they enter this sector of the market,” said Jay Kirchoff, VP of marketing, cable broadband at Broadcom. “With this range of products utilizing Broadcom silicon for DOCSIS, Wi-Fi and MoCA, Pace has created a very powerful gateway proposition for the cable industry.”

Pace said customer testing is underway with select, still-unnamed MSOs in North America, noting that the set of products will be ready for commercial field deployment in November. Further variants of the range will follow in 2015, the company said.

There are no qualified or certified DOCSIS 3.1 products to speak of yet, but some suppliers are already starting to talk up components that provide “network compatibility” with the emerging multi-gigabit cable IP platform.

Intel and MaxLinear announced Friday that they have co-developed a next-gen cable modem/gateway chipset designed to work on DOCSIS 3.1-powered networks while also baking in a DOCSIS 3.0 implementation that can bond up 32 downstream channels – a requirement for D3.1 modems, they said.

The first wave of DOCSIS 3.1 modems will be hybrids that can support both DOCSIS 3 .1 and DOCSIS 3.0 spectrum, a setup that should help to smooth cable’s migration path to D3.1, a platform that will be capable of delivering 10 Gbps in the downstream, and at least 1 Gbps in the upstream.

The DOCSIS 3.0 bonding configuration in the new 32-channel Intel/MaxLinear product will support downstream bursts of 1.2 Gigabits per second in North American settings (6MHz-wide channels), and up to 1.6 GHz on EuroDOCSIS systems that use 8MHz-wide channels.

Intel and MaxLinear didn’t say when the new chip will be ready for commercial shipments (Multichannel  News will update the story when those facts are known), but they did note that the new 32-channel system is made to deliver 33% percent more downstream punch in the same power envelope.

Update: Intel confirmed that the new chipset is currently sampling to customers, with volume shipping slated for the fourth quarter of 2014. The chip is also paired with the ability to bond up to 8 upstream channels.

The chipset, to be demonstrated at the IBC show in Amsterdam, combines an upgraded form of Intel’s Puma 6 DOCSIS silicon with MaxLinear’s MxL268 Full-Spectrum Capture tuner, which can obtain channels for bonding from anywhere along the cable spectrum. They said the chip provides a “pin-compatible upgrade path” from 16 to 24 to 32 channels.

“By listening to our customers, we have been able to satisfy the market need and quickly bring a 32-channel solution to complement our Puma 6 family to market,” said Ran Senderovitz, vice president and general manager of Intel’s Service Provider Division, in a statement.

Instead of using 6 MHz- or 8MHz-wide channels, the DOCSIS 3.1-facing side of coming hybrid D3.0/D3.1 modems will utilize orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), a technique already popular in the wireless realm that will enable operators to pack tiny subcarriers into wide blocks of bandwidth and utilize higher levels of modulation that can deliver more bits per hertz. When paired with a low density parity-check (LDPC), a Forward Error Correction (FEC) format that uses less bandwidth than the current Reed-Solomon approach, DOCSIS 3.1 is expected to be about 50% more bandwidth-efficient than DOCSIS 3.0.

CableLabs issued the first product specs for DOCSIS 3.1 last fall; deployments are expected to be well underway by 2016.

Last June, Broadcom announced a DOCSIS 3.0 chip that can bond 32 downstream channel and 8 upstream channels, but has yet revealed its DOCSIS 3.1 product roadmap. STMicroelectronics, another chipmaker, is also expected to toss its hat into the D3.1 ring.

Broadcom said it will supply silicon that will power TiVo’s coming line of Ultra HD/4K-capable set-top boxes, packing in a chipset that supports HEVC decoding, 10-bit color and the ability to pipe in video at 60 frames per second, the rate needed for sports and other fast-action content.

Broadcom, which has been supplying chips for TiVo’s Series4 and new line of Roamio DVRs, said it will equip TiVo with its BCM7445 chipset, which has already reached “volume production.”

The expected shipment date for TiVo’s Ultra HD product line was not immediately known, but the company will be demonstrating its 4K tech at the Broadcom booth at the IBC confab in  Amsterdam.

Update: "We're committed to remaining on the front edge of technology and we're proactively planning support for UltraHD content," a TiVo spokesman said via email in response to questions about the company's go-to-market plans. "But, this is solely a technology demo and we don’t have any launch dates available."

TiVo’s pursuit of a 4K option isn’t a surprise. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Jeff Klugman, TiVo’s EVP and general manager of products and revenue, told Multichannel Newsthat Ultra HD was on the company’s product roadmap for this year, expecting to bring native 4K support to its retail-focused Roamio line as well as MSO-distributed TiVo hardware.

TiVo is getting ready to enter the 4K fold even as there’s still a dearth of content available in the format. Netflix, which TiVo supports now, has already launched a small library of 4K titles. Amazon Instant Video, which is also expected to deliver some 4K fare, is poised to join the TiVo app lineup in late November, according to ZatzNotFunny.

"TiVo is committed to bringing the ultimate viewing experience to our customers, delivering all video content to any room and any screen with the only user experience that allows consumers to easily discover content whether it is linear, On Demand, or over-the-top. With Broadcom, we can deliver the stunning picture quality and color clarity of Ultra HD to our subscribers worldwide," said Klugman said, in a statement. "Demonstrating our 4k capabilities with Broadcom at IBC marks an important next step in our bringing Ultra HD to consumers everywhere."

Here’s another sampling of what else is making news as the IBC show (September 11-16) gets rolling in Amsterdam (please go here for our first IBC news roundup):

-Media data management and analytics company Mediamorph has raised a $10 million in a  Series B found led by Liberty Global Ventures, with help from  Smedvig Capital, an existing Mediamorph investor. Mediamorph, which has raised $23 million so far according to Crunchbase (Mediamorph confirmed that figure), said it expects to close the round soon, with the participation of one or two more additional investors. The latest round, “will help us invest in our data management platform and bring on key hires to further scale our business,” Rob Gardos, the recently named CEO of Mediamorph, said in a statement.

-Elliptic Technologies said it is working with CableLabs to provide a reference implementation for DLNA’s CVP-2 (Commercial Video Profile-2) specs that utilizes Elliptic’s tVault for DTCP-IP (Digital Transmission Content Protection over Internet Protocol)  security system. DLNA just unveiled “VidiPath” as the consumer-facing brand and label for a certification program that will test CE video devices, including retail products, that are capable of supporting an MVPD’s full suite of services and user interface. Elliptic and CableLabs will provide a CVP-2 server reference design that uses Elliptic’s security and will facilitate client testing and the interoperability of VidiPath/CVP-2 devices.

-Cisco Systems said it’s expanding its Videoscape Virtualized Video Processing (V2P) system to virtualize and orchestrate the key functions required to deliver multiscreen video. Instead of requiring pay-TV operators to hardwire optimized gear for each type of screen, Cisco claims that its new orchestrated approach creates a common pool of hardware and software for multiscreen delivery.

-Broadcom has unleashed a family of eight hybrid satellite/terrestrial broadcast chipsets for set-top boxes that support High Efficiency Video Compression (HEVC)/H.265, a codec that is billed as 50% more bandwidth-efficient than MPEG-4/H.264. Broadcom said it’s also combining HEVC with the modulation efficiencies of DVB-S2, DVB-T2 (terrestrial standard for Europe and South Africa) , ISDB-T (terrestrial standard for Brazil, Latin America, the Philippines, Botswana and Japan) and ATSC (North America and Korea), and home-side IP connectivity using the 2.0 version of the Multimedia over Coax Alliance standard.

-IneoQuest Technologies said it has inked a deal to supply  video headend monitoring systems to Kabel Deutschland, the largest cable operator in Germany. KD’s systems connect about 8.3 million homes.

-Accedo has launched Accedo VIA, a next-gen multiscreen platform for PCs, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and gaming consoles. Accedo stitched VIA together in tandem with several tech partners, including DivX, Elemental Technologies, Movideo, MPP, NexStreaming, NXP Software, Ooyala, PayWizard, Comcast-owned thePlatform, Verimatrix, Vimond, VisualOn and Xstream.

Broadcom shares rose 15% in pre-market trading Monday after the chipmaker announced it is exploring strategic alternatives for its cellular baseband business, including a potential sale or wind-down.

Broadcom, a maker of DOCSIS modem and set-top chipsets, said it has hired JP Morgan in connection with the efforts.

The company said a successful sale or wind-down of its cellular baseband business is currently expected to result in a $700 million reduction in annualized GAAP R&D and in other selling and general administrative expenses, of which about $100 million relates to estimated reductions in stock-based compensation. Additionally, non-GAAP R&D and selling and G&A expenses are expected to be cut by about $600 million, the company said.

Broadcom said it expects to organically reinvest about $500 million of these savings on an annualized basis into projects tied to its Broadband, Infrastructure and Connectivity Businesses, noting that this incremental spending should strengthen and accelerate Broadcom’s plans in the areas small cells, embedded processing and low-power connectivity.

In the first quarter, Broadcom’s mobile and wireless segment generated $846 million, down 10%, and noted that it expected that part of the business to trend down slightly in the second quarter.

Broadcom is facing stiff competition in the sector from companies such as MediaTek and Qualcomm and the cellular baseband unit is “significantly unprofitable,” Reuters reported, citing a FBR Capital Markets analyst Christopher Rolland.

Broadcom said it still expects second quarter revenues to be in the range of $2 billion to $2.1 billion.

Shares in Broadcom rose $4.79 (15.03%) to $36.66 each in pre-market trading Monday.