The Motorola MG8725 gateway is also the first in an anticipated lineup of Minim products to be outfitted with Wi-Fi 6 technology.

Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor

April 6, 2021

3 Min Read
Minim first to get CableLabs stamp for low-latency DOCSIS 3.1 device

Minim is the first DOCSIS cable modem supplier to achieve CableLabs certification for a model that supports a fresh set of low-latency features that are now part of DOCSIS 3.1 as well as the new DOCSIS 4.0 specifications.

Figure 1: Minim says the Motorola MG8725, a product that will pursue retail and direct-to-operator sales, is the first in a family of new products from the company that will support Wi-Fi 6. (Image source: Minim) Minim says the Motorola MG8725, a product that will pursue retail and direct-to-operator sales, is the first in a family of new products from the company that will support Wi-Fi 6.
(Image source: Minim)

That product, the Motorola MG8725, obtained the DOCSIS 3.1 stamp from CableLabs following certification wave 134. CableLabs interoperability certification clears the model for retail sale. DOCSIS certification typically is also a precursor to direct cable operator sales.

According to a blog post by Matt Schmitt, principal architect at CableLabs, Minim's product is the first to achieve certification for a D3.1 modem that includes the Low Latency DOCSIS (LLD) set of features.

"This announcement represents a major milestone on the path toward 10G because LLD support is key to improving latency on DOCSIS networks, and improving latency is one of the pillars of 10G," Schmitt wrote. "10G" is an industry initiative focused on delivering symmetrical speeds of 10 Gbit/s over a range of access networks (including hybrid fiber/coax, fiber-to-the-premises and even wireless) alongside low-latency capacities and enhanced security.

Expect others to follow Minim's path. Any DOCSIS 3.1 modem added to the CableLabs list of certified and qualified devices in certification wave 134 or later will also include the LLD feature set, Schmitt explained.

And LLD is not just for shiny new DOCSIS CPE. LLD, which can support latencies as low as 1 millisecond, can be added to already deployed devices via a software update, Schmitt points out.

New product emerges following Zoom merger

Minim's LLD milestone enters the picture a few months after it merged with Zoom Telephonics, a cable gateway and IoT vendor that had also secured a license to market products under the Motorola brand. Minim's broader strategy is to sell and market a combination of hardware and management and security software. Though Zoom's primary focus was on the retail sale of cable modems and gateways, Minim has developed a direct operator sales channel (primarily with wireless ISPs) that it intends to extend to the cable operator market.

While low-latency DOCSIS consumer premises equipment (CPE) might hold special appeal to online gamers and operators that are starting to market premium, low-latency services, Minim characterized the Motorola MG8725 as a premium product in its portfolio. It also represents a first glimpse at a family of products from Minim that will bake in Wi-Fi 6. The new device is also equipped with one 2.5-Gig Ethernet port and three 1-Gig Ethernet ports.

Minim's new DOCSIS 3.1 gateway, powered by Broadcom silicon, will also come with the company's "motosync app powered by Minim" for network management, security and privacy.

The MG8725 will be available to cable operators to sample and purchase in August 2021, with plans to launch the product at retail in the "early fall" at a price to be announced, according to Minim Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder Nicole Zheng.

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— Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor, Light Reading

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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