BigBand Ships M-CMTSBigBand Ships M-CMTS

BigBand Networks has supplied its modular cable modem termination system (M-CMTS) to Dutch cable operator Multikabel

March 26, 2007

3 Min Read

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- BigBand Networks, Inc., (NASDAQ: BBND), today announced that it has supplied its modular cable modem termination system (M-CMTS) to Dutch cable operator Multikabel. BigBand Networks believes that it is the first equipment vendor in the world to ship M-CMTS based on the CableLabs® specification. BigBand’s M-CMTS solution utilizes DOCSIS® 3.0 downstream channel bonding, a standards-based way to significantly increase the rate at which information travels to cable modems, and substantially lower the cost of providing cable modem service. Multikabel’s deployment coincides with the release of BigBand’s Cuda 7.0 software that operates the Cuda CMTS platform and supports M-CMTS. Unlike CMTS products that support proprietary wideband channel bonding techniques meant to interoperate with specific modems, BigBand’s Cuda supports both DOCSIS 3.0 channel bonding and DOCSIS 2.0 modems on the same channels.

“BigBand’s M-CMTS changes the economics of broadband delivery, making it far more affordable to increase access speeds,” said Stefan van Dijk, manager of network technology at Multikabel. “Other vendors have taken proprietary approaches to channel bonding, but CableLabs and EuroCableLabs® have provided an excellent, standards-based roadmap to increase speeds and lower costs, and BigBand Networks has wisely pursued that strategy. BigBand’s combination of DOCSIS 3.0 downstream channel bonding and M-CMTS seems to be an economical way to increase access speeds, and also provides a straightforward migration path to full DOCSIS 3.0 support. Being first to deliver an M-CMTS solution to simultaneously offer high-speed DOCSIS 3.0 downstream access and reduce the cost of bandwidth for our existing DOCSIS 2.0 modem installed base is a significant advantage for BigBand Networks.”

Modular-CMTS addresses operators’ needs to increase the bandwidth they make available to subscribers, and lower the costs associated with providing additional bandwidth. New applications, including online video, place-shifting technologies, wireless networks and online gaming are increasing subscribers’ demand for Internet bandwidth, but service provider competition is causing broadband prices to fall. According to a December report by Point Topic research, the average price of cable modem service worldwide fell to $29.50 per month in September 2006, down from approximately $38 in June 2004. By allowing operators to increase access speeds at a fraction of the capital cost of integrated CMTS, BigBand’s M-CMTS solution is designed to make it profitable for operators to provide faster cable modem services at lower prices, and support video-over-DOCSIS and other advanced, high-bandwidth applications.

BigBand’s M-CMTS solution achieves its capacity increase by migrating functionality traditionally performed by the CMTS onto a less expensive edge quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) platform. BigBand’s Cuda CMTS processes IP packets destined for subscribers, while BigBand’s edqe QAM delivers these packets to subscribers using RF QAM signaling, a delivery method that is more efficient and economical than leveraging an integrated CMTS for both functions.

“BigBand’s M-CMTS solution simultaneously delivers customers significant capacity improvements and significant cost-savings,” said John Holobinko, vice president and general manager of BigBand Networks’ cable IP business unit. “BigBand’s M-CMTS solution meets operators’ short term needs to increase speeds and lower costs, and also meets operators’ longer-term desire to migrate to full DOCSIS 3.0 support without obsoleting existing DOCSIS modems and equipment.”

BigBand Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: BBND)

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