Cable One is laying the groundwork for DOCSIS 4.0, completing a series of network upgrades it hopes will smooth its eventual deployment of the technology and, ultimately, its path to 10 Gbps.
The operator said it is currently working to update its network return path to allow for symmetrical multi-gig service and is reclaiming spectrum used for traditional linear video services. It is also upgrading its hybrid fiber coaxial plant capacity to 1.8 GHz.
"Gig speed is just the beginning of the story,” Cable One CEO Julie Laulis said in a statement. “We are implementing the upgrades needed to our networks in order to bring multi-gig symmetrical speeds to our residential customers in the next few years and ensure that we continue to stay well ahead of the consumer consumption curve."
Cable One already offers gigabit speeds to residential customers across 99% of its footprint. However, Laulis said the shift to “10G will transform the customer experience, creating new possibilities for smart cities, connected homes, virtual and augmented reality and business."
The operator did not definitively state which of the two versions of DOCSIS 4.0 – full duplex (FDX) or frequency division duplex (FDD, also known as extended spectrum or ESD) – it is pursuing. However, the changes it is making to the plant capacity appear consistent with an FDD/ESD approach.
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Several other major operators have begun fleshing out their DOCSIS 4.0 plans in recent months.
Comcast, for instance, recently said it was picking up the pace on DOCSIS 4.0 work and has homed in on mid-split upgrades as a stepping stone to full duplex. Cox Communications, meanwhile, already has mid-split implementations in place and is planning to move to a high-split configuration in the near future.
Elsewhere, Canadian operator Shaw Communications said it is plotting a shift to FDD/ESD DOCSIS 4.0 by 2030, with deployments expected to begin in 2024.