Wave Issue 0202 1/24/02 Article 4-01

***CableLabs Completes DOCSIS 2.0 Specs
(January 16)

CableLabs has finished specifications for an advanced generation
of cable modems called DOCSIS* 2.0. The specs were completed by
year end, and test plans are now being finalized to allow for
interoperability testing in the first quarter this year and
possible certification testing in the third quarter. DOCSIS
stands for Data over Cable Service Interface Specification.

DOCSIS 2.0 builds upon the capabilities of DOCSIS 1.0 and DOCSIS
1.1 and adds throughput in the upstream portion of the cable
plant - from the consumer out to the Internet - creating a
network that has 30 megabit per second (Mbps) capacity in two
directions. The specification enhancements are also geared toward
providing an more robust communications channel than is available
with the current versions of the DOCSIS Specification.

Cable operators and some suppliers have been working on DOCSIS
2.0 since late 1998. Specifically, DOCSIS 2.0 will include two
modulation techniques: S-CDMA (synchronous code division multiple
access) and A-TDMA (advanced frequency agile time division
multiple access).

In addition to more upstream channel capacity, DOCSIS 2.0 will be
compatible with DOCSIS 1.0 and 1.1 cable modems and cable modem
termination systems, will increase protection against electronic
impairments that occur in cable systems, and will further enhance
and augment the international DOCSIS standard (ITU J-112), which
has been adopted world-wide and provides international
interoperability of data signals.

CableLabs is a research and development consortium of cable
television system operators representing North and South America.
CableLabs plans and funds research and development projects that
will help cable companies take advantage of future opportunities
and meet future challenges in the cable television industry. It
also transfers relevant technologies to member companies and to
the industry. In addition, CableLabs acts as a clearinghouse to
provide information on current and prospective technological
developments that are of interest to the cable industry.

www.cablelabs.com