Vecima sets sights on bringing GAP node to market this year

Vecima Networks is gearing up to bring a new network node to market later this year that will let operators mix and match modules for cable, fiber and even wireless deployments all in the same housing.

COO Clay McCreery told Fierce he doesn’t expect many of the nodes to actually be deployed in a multi-service environment, even though that’s technically possible. Instead, he said it’s more likely operators will use them to evolve their networks to meet changing needs over the coming years. So, for instance, the nodes could be used to deploy “coax today, fiber tomorrow, wireless in the future,” he said.

Vecima first announced its forthcoming node in October 2021, stating at the time it would be offered to select customers for lab trials in the first half of 2022. The device, known as the EN9000, is based on Generic Access Platform (GAP) standards released by SCTE in September 2021.

McCreery said Vecima is “basically done” with all the design work for the node and showcased a machined unit at a CableLabs event last month. It’s now “driving a bunch of supply, we’re setting up tooling and doing all the things you have to do to get manufacturing going on it.” He added it expects to bring finished products to market later this year.

According to McCreery, work on the GAP node is being “heavily” driven by a certain Tier 1 cable operator “that absolutely wants to make it their cornerstone node that’s out in the field going forward.” While he didn’t name the operator, Charter Communications is listed on SCTE’s website as a key participant in the GAP node standards working group. The idea of Charter using a node that can flex between coax, fiber and wireless jibes with the company’s ambition to complement its broadband service with mobile connectivity. Charter and Vecima have also been working together on DOCSIS 4.0 testing.

Vecima posted record revenue in its most recent quarter, which was driven largely by sales of its Entra portfolio of products for the cable industry.

As the GAP node makes its way into the market, McCreery said he expects it will become “one of two primary platforms that we use.” That’s in part because it allows operators to future-proof their network.

“I started on the access side of the business…and what I’ll tell you is that nodes that were sold 20 years ago are still out there and have had their insides spun several times as the technology has changed. And so, we’re just trying to build platforms that it’s not just about RF anymore, it’s about PON, it’s about wireless,” he said. “I have very high hopes for the GAP node’s acceptance out in the market. I think it’s going to be a big deal.”