Javelin has quietly developed a line of modules and taps to help cable build fresh upstream capacity above the 1GHz ceiling

Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor

October 13, 2010

3 Min Read
Javelin Jabs at Gigabit Cable Upstream

Javelin Innovations, the new company headed by the former chief of Vyyo Inc., has developed a new line of modules and taps to help cable operators create fresh upstream capacity above 1GHz, Light Reading Cable has learned.

According to industry sources, Javelin is getting ready to introduce a 1.8GHz tap/module that would give MSOs an additional 800MHz of upstream spectrum to play with once that capacity is physically activated. The other product, a full-on 2.8GHz tap, would support even more capacity to help cable fatten up its traditionally skinny upstream path and set the table for multi-gigabit capacities.

Javelin CEO Wayne Davis declined to comment on the company's product plans, but sources say the 1.8GHz module is viewed as a drop-in that would not require operators to re-splice the coax. As explained to Light Reading Cable, the Javelin 1.8GHz module could be placed inside an installed Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) 1GHz tap housing. It's believed that Javelin's also working on a version for Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO)-made taps.

"It's literally a faceplate replacement," says an industry source who's familiar with Javelin's product plan. "You don't need to unscrew the tap. You just insert a faceplate with the electronics to go up above 1GHz."

The 2.8GHz version is a full-sized tap that would require operators to recut the coax and do some resizing to install it, a more obtrusive option.

With those scenarios in mind, the 1.8GHz product appears to be more suitable for older cable plant, and the 2.8GHz product better targeted to new developments.

Javelin's products are coming into view as the cable industry, led by a committee at CableLabs , weighs several long-term technical options that would allow MSOs to deliver sustainable upstream speeds well beyond 100 Mbit/s. Sources say the Louisville, Colo.-based cable R&D house has been hearing out a wide range of proposals from a wide range of suppliers, including Motorola and Cisco. (See CableLabs Eyes a Super-Sized Upstream .)

The group is said to be giving attention to a "top-split" approach that would beef up upstream capacity to multiple gigabits per second. The amount of upstream spectrum allocated by US MSOs today (in the 5MHz-to-42MHz range) supports theoretical data capacity of about 120 Mbit/s. Motorola, meanwhile, has been openly proposing the use of a nearer-term "mid-split" that would raise US cable's upstream spectrum ceiling to 85MHz. (See Does HFC Have Plenty of Legs Left? )

That Javelin is targeting upstream spectrum beyond 1GHz isn't a surprise. Davis hinted at it last year but didn't supply any product details. (See Vyyo's New Name & Game .)

Revelations of the new product line come roughly two years after an investment group led by former Vyyo chairman Davidi Gilo made a $45 million tender offer for the publicly traded company, which was struggling to establish its 3GHz overlay technology. (See Exclusive: Gilo Offers $45M for Vyyo , Vyyo on Life Support , and 'New' Vyyo to Rise in March .)

The new private company has been quiet, but it's believed that Javelin's products are being tested in MSO labs and that the company is working on partnerships with bigger suppliers.

Historically, Cox Communications Inc. was Vyyo's marquee customer, using the 3GHz overlay in targeted business services situations. Arris Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ARRS) has since obtained the rights to distribute the equipment to Cox, under a supply chain deal with Javelin. (See Vyyo Gear Lives On (at Arris).)

More official details about Javelin's product strategy might be revealed at next week's Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) Cable-Tec Expo in New Orleans. At last check, the company's Website directs visitors to "Check back soon for more information."

— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Light Reading Cable

About the Author(s)

Jeff Baumgartner

Senior Editor, Light Reading

Jeff Baumgartner is a Senior Editor for Light Reading and is responsible for the day-to-day news coverage and analysis of the cable and video sectors. Follow him on X and LinkedIn.

Baumgartner also served as Site Editor for Light Reading Cable from 2007-2013. In between his two stints at Light Reading, he led tech coverage for Multichannel News and was a regular contributor to Broadcasting + Cable. Baumgartner was named to the 2018 class of the Cable TV Pioneers.

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