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More Docsis 3.0 Gateways Gun for 1-Gig

October 16, 2012 | Jeff Baumgartner |

Welcome to today's broadband and cable news snapshot.

  • Arris Group Inc. is the latest cable modem vendor to introduce Docsis 3.0-based gateways that take advantage of the full capabilities of the Puma6, a chipset from Intel Corp. that can bond up to 24 downstream channels and produce speed bursts close to 1 Gbit/s. Arris's new line of gateways also will be outfitted with MaxLinear Corp. tuners and video-optimized Wi-Fi chips from Celeno Communications. Arris's latest lineup, which will be on display at this week's Cable-Tec Expo in Orlando, includes two gateways that bond 24 downstreams and eight upstreams, and five models that use the Puma6's 16x4 configuration. Other vendors are sure to follow with 24x8 D3 gear, but Hitron Technologies Inc. was the first to announce a model, and already has plans to submit its new gateway for CableLabs certification next month. (See 1-Gig Cable Gateway Gets Ready for Its Close-Up , Cable Access Goes for Bigger Broadband and Cable-Tec Expo 2012: 7 Hot Topics .)

  • Cable overbuilders, telcos and satellite TV providers topped the latest U.S. residential television satisfaction study by J.D. Power and Associates. Verizon Communications Inc. FiOS TV led in the East region, followed by Dish Network Corp. and DirecTV Group Inc.; DirecTV Group Inc. won the South, followed by AT&T Inc. U-verse and FiOS; WideOpenWest Holdings LLC (WOW) took the North Central region, outpacing only AT&T and DirecTV; and Dish was the best in the West, beating U-verse and DirecTV.

  • AT&T has signed a new carriage deal with Viacom Inc. that provides U-verse subscribers with access to TV Everywhere streaming feeds from several networks, including BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Spike and VH1. Financials weren't disclosed, but it marks the first multi-screen deal between the two.

  • A new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule that lets cable operators encrypt their basic TV service tiers isn't just about the nation's big MSOs. The American Cable Association (ACA), which represents Tier 2/3 operators, "expects at least some of its members to take advantage of this ruling soon after it takes effect," said ACA President and CEO Matthew Polka, in a statement. (See Cable Cleared to Encrypt Basic TV Tiers .)

  • Consumers in Sweden are the first to gain access to HBO Nordic, a new stand-alone streaming service from the premium programmer that will sell for 79 Swedish kroner (US$11.79) per month, reports The Wall Street Journal. HBO Nordic, which will compete in the market with Netflix, will introduce its over-the-top offer in Norway, Denmark and Finland later this week. Another competitive service, Viaplay, has already dropped its price by about 20 percent now that Netflix and HBO are in the market, the paper notes.

    — Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Light Reading Cable



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