Cisco readying 320Mbps cable modem with VoIP
updated 02:55 pm EST, Tue January 13, 2009
Cisco 320Mbps Cable Modem
Network hardware producer Cisco hopes to up-end the home Internet business with word that the company is developing a 320Mbps cable modem. The DPC3212 is one of the first cable modems using the DOCSIS 3.0 standard to crack the 300Mbps mark and does so through a new Broadcom chip that bonds eight cable channels together instead of four to reach the peak speed.
The modem also manages 120Mbps upstream and also lets Internet providers ramp up speeds more gradually by using only some of the channels until the network can handle the load. It additionally carries space for two lines on cable providers with VoIP service.
Cisco plans to submit the DPC3212 to CableLabs for approval before the end of the winter but doesn't expect it to be shipping to providers until mid-2010.
The technology points to increased speeds for DOCSIS 3 services, which are mostly available in the US through Comcast. Its service currently tops out at 50Mbps but is eventually expected to peak at 160Mbps through upgrades that hinge both on new modems and an improved network. [via Ars Technica]
