Broadcom Unleashes Gigabit Speeds for Consumer Cable Modems

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- CES International 2015 -- Broadcom Corporation BRCM, a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced the world's first DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem system-on-a-chip (SoC) enabling cable operators to deliver data to homes at speeds faster than a Gigabit per second (Gbps). Visit Broadcom's 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) site to learn more at www.connectingeverything.com.

The BCM3390 cable modem SoC delivers video content with a nearly 50 percent increased efficiency on existing spectrum allocations¹ and allows for the delivery and use of a new range of content and services. The single device supports high-speed data rates exceeding 1 Gbps. The BCM93390 modem reference design with integrated Wi-Fi provides up to 2 Gigabit speeds in the home², providing a path for cable operators to transition to all-IP video.

"Broadcom has engineered a breakthrough technology for operators to exceed Gigabit speeds on existing cable networks while simultaneously improving operational efficiencies," said Dan Marotta, Broadcom Executive Vice President and General Manager, Broadband & Connectivity Group. "With our new cable modem SoC, service providers can immediately begin to unlock the value of DOCSIS 3.1 to provide their subscribers with the best home networking experiences."

"The next generation of DOCSIS technology supports the Gigabit speeds our subscribers will increasingly demand over time," said Balan Nair, Liberty Global Executive Vice President and CTO. "DOCSIS 3.1 will enable Liberty Global to deliver an even richer experience once we begin deploying this cost-effective technology during the second half of 2015."

"DOCSIS 3.1 is a critical technology for Comcast to provide even faster, more reliable data speeds and features such as IP video to our subscribers' homes by harnessing more spectrum in the downstream," said Tony Werner, Comcast Executive Vice-President. "By more effectively using our cable plant to grow our total throughput, we expect to offer our customers more than 1 Gigabit speeds in their homes in 2015 and beyond."

Designed to support the new era in Gigabit data and improve the spectral efficiencies of the available spectrum, the DOCSIS 3.1 specification enables higher-order modulations in existing hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) networks without changes to the existing cable plant. The combination of low-density parity check-based Forward Error Correction (FEC) and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology in DOCSIS 3.1 allow operators to more efficiently install more data in the existing spectrum.³

Key Features of the BCM3390

• Full compliance with full DOCSIS 3.1 specification, including:
  • Two OFDM 196 MHz downstream channels
  • 32 single-carrier DOCSIS 3.0 QAM downstream channels
  • Two 96 MHz OFDM-A upstream channels
  • Eight single-carrier DOCSIS 3.0 QAM upstream channels
• Includes full software support for packet cable voice and e-router applications, including emerging RDK-B software for broadband modem solutions

BCM93390 Demonstration Details

• First cable modem reference design to produce up to 2 Gigabit Wi-Fi speeds in a consumer's home
• Support for up to 4 million WAN/WLAN packets 
• Integrated DOCSIS 3.1 device with Broadcom's BCM4366 5G Wi-Fi for both 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, including:
  • Speeds up to 2.2 Gbps at 5 GHz and 1 Gbps at 2.4 GHz with full support for 802.11ac Wave 2 specifications
  • Advanced Multi-User-Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) implementation allowing for up to a 4X speed boost⁴
  • Highly robust wireless content delivery with support for advanced features, which enable unprecedented reliability for video and data distribution over Wi-Fi

Availability

Broadcom's BCM3390 DOCSIS 3.1 device is currently sampling. The BCM3390 cable modem reference design integrating high-speed 5G WiFi (802.11ac) and 802.11n Wi-Fi is available for demonstration.

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Resources

¹ DOCSIS 3.1 is more than 25 percent more efficient than DOCSIS 3.0. Internet Protocol (IP) video (over DOCSIS) is 20 percent more efficient than cable video

² Wireless LAN networking

³ DOCSIS 3.1 increases the spectrum of the Coax portion in a forward downstream from 1.0 GHz to 1.2 GHz.

⁴ Versus previous generation 802.11ac solutions

About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation BRCM, a FORTUNE 500® company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom® products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments.  With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by Connecting everything®. For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.

Broadcom®, the pulse logo, Connecting everything® and the Connecting everything logo are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU.  Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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SOURCE Broadcom Corporation; BRCM Broadband & Cable