As the world of broadband connectivity evolves, so does the technology that powers it. The evolution of DOCSIS technology has been a cornerstone of high-speed internet delivery, enabling service providers to meet the growing demands for faster and more reliable internet access. DOCSIS 4.0 technology represents the latest milestone in this journey, offering impressive speeds and new capabilities.

The latest Interop·Labs event, which took place Feb. 10–13 at CableLabs in Louisville, Colorado, showcased these capabilities and more, focusing on speed and stability — crucial factors in determining the quality and reliability of an internet connection.

A Bright Future for DOCSIS 4.0 Technology

DOCSIS 4.0 technology is poised to revolutionize broadband connectivity, offering significantly faster speeds, better efficiency and enhanced security. Its backward compatibility with existing DOCSIS 3.0/3.1 infrastructure makes it a flexible solution for both service providers and consumers.

As with any major technological leap, ensuring smooth interoperability between old and new systems is key to a successful transition. By offering a scalable, future-proof solution that can be deployed gradually, DOCSIS 4.0 technology allows operators to gracefully migrate to these new products.

Why Speed and Stability Are Critical

Speed refers to how quickly data is downloaded or uploaded, often measured in megabits per second (Mbps), and plays a key role in activities such as streaming, gaming and video conferencing. Stability, on the other hand, is about the consistency of that connection.

A stable connection ensures that users experience minimal interruptions or slowdowns, even during peak usage times. Both high speed and stable performance are essential for seamless online experiences, especially in households or businesses that rely on multiple devices or heavy internet usage.

Key Contributors and Participants

The DOCSIS 4.0 specifications describe both frequency division duplex (FDD) and full duplex (FDX) modes of operation. For this interop, the first of 2025, new modems and RPDs that supported both modes (on the same device) were participants for the first time.

Attendance at the interop was high and included new suppliers and products, as well as two operators that joined to observe demonstrations, interact with the suppliers and discuss their own DOCSIS 4.0 network progress.

Suppliers included CommScope and Harmonic, who brought DOCSIS 4.0 CCAP cores to the event. For the first time, we saw new Remote PHY Device (RPD) platforms from three separate suppliers: Harmonic, Teleste and Vecima. Seven DOCSIS 4.0 modem suppliers — Arcadyan, Askey, Gemtek, Hitron, Sagemcom, Sercomm and Ubee — brought multiple cable modem models. Calian participated with its test solutions, and Microchip participated with its clock and timing system.

Broadcom has developed new chipsets that enable a device to operate in either FDD or FDX mode, under the control of the network. Another chipset supplier, MaxLinear, was also in attendance, exhibiting its latest DOCSIS 4.0 modem innovations.

Testing scenarios involved using a virtual core from one supplier, and RPDs and DOCSIS 4.0 cable modems from various other suppliers. The products were mixed and matched to verify interoperability scenarios and speeds through the system. As before, DOCSIS 3.1 and DOCSIS 4.0 devices were combined to demonstrate the cross-compatibility of existing and new technology. Suppliers providing test equipment used these setups to verify their solutions.

Broadband Service Enhancement

The February interop was another opportunity to drive interoperability between some of these new products/platforms and some existing ones, ensuring that the different systems and devices would seamlessly work together to exchange information. Interoperability is vital to enabling these devices to connect and interact. By fostering interoperability, the DOCSIS ecosystem continues to provide innovation and solutions to enhance broadband services, ultimately leading to better outcomes for consumers.

Remote PHY Interoperability

Although modems were the focus, the event also looked at the interoperability between DOCSIS 4.0 cores and RPDs. We branched into more and different configurations, moving beyond one-size-fits-all configurations. These products are going to be deployed in many scenarios, and going deeper into these various configurations will ensure flexibility as DOCSIS 4.0 technology moves into the field.

Join Us Soon

The next DOCSIS 4.0 interop is planned for the week of March 31 at CableLabs.

If you are a member or vendor attending CableLabs Winter Conference, join us for our two-part session “The What, Why and How of Future HFC Solutions.” We’ll explore the potential of future generations of DOCSIS networks, exploring how the evolution of the technology will support tomorrow’s hybrid fiber coax networks. This two-part session begins at 12:45 Tuesday, March 11.

With DOCSIS 4.0 technology, the future of broadband looks brighter, faster and more connected than ever before. The technology’s seamless integration into current systems ensures that consumers will continue to benefit from fast, reliable internet — no matter where they are on their broadband journey.