Cisco Systems is touting a new option for its cable modem termination system that makes it fastest and highest-density CTMS on the market, and provides the ability to deliver downstream DOCSIS 3.0 connections approaching 1 Gigabit per second.
The company's uBR-MC3GX60V (3G60) Broadband Processing Engine for Cisco's flagship uBR10012 CMTS can deliver up to 576 downstream and 480 upstream channels per chassis.
Several MSOs -- including Comcast and Cox Communications -- are testing the new 3G60 line card. The line card delivers 10 times the performance at one-tenth the cost of DOCSIS 2.0 solutions, according to Cisco. In addition, the 3G60 supports DOCSIS 3.0 downstream channel bonding of up to 24 channels, allowing downstream speeds approaching 1 Gigabit per second.
"The Cisco 3G60 line card is a strong solution for scaling our installed base of Cisco CMTS equipment, enabling us to deliver new services with faster speeds to keep pace with the demands of our customers," John Schanz, Comcast's executive vice president of national engineering and technology operations, said in a statement. "When used together with high-density universal edge QAMs, Cisco technology is expected to help us meet the key objectives of our Converged Multi-Service Application Platform (CMAP) initiative."
Cox senior vice president of engineering Jay Rolls added, "Cisco's new 3G60 line card will help us enhance overall network capacity, efficiency and quality of experience for our customers by allowing us to support downstream and upstream channel bonding at a DOCSIS 3.0 line rate. This is critical as we work to roll out increased high-speed data services at the pace of increasing consumer demand."
The 3G60, which Cisco is positioning as paving the way for cable operators to launch new IPTV services, provides 72 downstream and 60 upstream channels on each card. The upstream and downstream channels on the 3G60 can be provisioned via software licensing, and customers can install the card and pay only for the channels they use.
The uBR10012 together with the 3G60 line card supports the full set of DOCSIS 3.0 features at scale, including IPv6, and supports advanced features such as dynamic bandwidth sharing.
