Faster cable modems coming soon

From...

By Gillian Law

(IDG) -- Cable modems could have triple the upstream capacity by the end of 2002, enabling video conferencing and peer-to-peer applications over cable connections.

IDG.net INFOCENTER PCWorld.com home Free daily newsletters PCWorld.com: Week in Reviews TechInformer Visit an IDG site Choose a site: IDG.net CIO Computerworld Darwin Dummies.com GamePro.com The Industry Standard ITWorld.com InfoWorld.com JavaWorld LinuxWorld Macworld Online Network World Fusion PC World Publish.com UnixInsider IDG.net search

Cable Television Laboratories (known as CableLabs), a consortium of cable operators from North and South America, has completed the specification for DOCSIS 2.0 (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification).

The specification boosts the capacity of the upstream side of the connection compared to the previous version to 30 megabits per second in both directions, CableLabs said in a statement on Thursday.

DOCSIS 2.0 defines two modulation techniques: S-CDMA (synchronous code division multiple access) and A-TDMA (advanced frequency-agile time division multiple access).

Interoperability testing of products is due to start in the first quarter of this year and certification testing is expected by the third quarter, the consortium said.

Cable operators and suppliers have been working on the new specification since 1998, CableLabs said.