Comcast testing new technology to deliver 1 Gbps plus speeds
26 Aug 2015
Comcast intends to take on Google Fiber on internet speeds and may even outpace its rival.
The new technology under testing at the company, would connect people to the web at over 1 Gigabit per second.
That would at least be 50 times faster than the typical broadband connection that most cable companies offered.
With the right modem, and under ideal circumstances, the technology was capable of delivering internet speeds up to 10 Gigabits-per-second.
Google Fiber offered speeds starting at 1 Gigabit per second.
According to a Comcast spokesman, the company's upgraded network is likely to be completed within two to three years, which was first reported by FierceCable.
The new technology works by securing more efficient data transmission over existing cable networks, and does not require installation of fibre optic cables in homes.
This differed from its existing super high-speed internet service Gigabit Pro, which delivered data at 2 Gigabits per second through an in-home fiber network.
According to commentators, even though many companies were trying to provide faster internet service, actual speeds could be much slower if websites did not speed up the delivery of their data.
Meanwhile, CableLabs had opened product certification for Data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) 3.1 equipment as per a blog post by CableLabs director of broadband evolution Belal Hemzeh.
The company, last December hosted the first official DOCSIS 3.1 equipment interoperability event (interop).
Four more interops had been successfully completed since then and the next one was scheduled for September.
''All the interops have been very successful, with strong vendor participation, including CM (cable modem) vendors, CMTS (cable modem termination system) vendors, and test equipment vendors,'' he wrote
''In the initial interops, we saw visible signs of how DOCSIS 3.1 technology will change the industry including the delivery of multi-Gbps performance, and high order modulation densities never seen before in other technologies – both showcasing the capabilities of DOCSIS 3.1 networks even before the equipment has been deployed.''
In concluding he wrote, ''Based on what we have learned, and all the excitement from the vendors and operators, we expect the upcoming DOCSIS 3.1 deployments to drive the next evolution in broadband connectivity.''
