Signaling that it's back in the cable modem game, Juniper becomes the first to win the Docsis 3.0 stamp for an 'embedded cable modem module'

Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor

November 9, 2009

7 Min Read
Juniper Does Docsis (Again)

Juniper Networks Inc. (NYSE: JNPR) has reentered the Docsis technology race after becoming the first vendor to obtain Docsis 3.0 certification for what's called an "embedded cable modem module," or eCMM.

CableLabs has Juniper's newly certified product listed as the "ECM3100-JU," one of seven Docsis 3.0 products to come out of the Louisville, Colo.-based R&D house with passing grades following Certification Wave 70.

Juniper was not available Friday to discuss its intentions for the wideband eCMM product. Generally speaking, eCMMs are embedded into another device such as an advanced digital set-top. Although it's possible Juniper may try to get its eCMM into a cable box, one industry insider speculated that the company may instead be interested in hooking it into network components that perform Docsis 3.0 test-and-measurement functions. A handful of other suppliers, including Maspro Denkoh Corp. , Tollgrade Communications Inc. , Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO), ATI (now part of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD)), and Askey Inc. , have previously obtained certifications for their respective eCMMs, but those were all for Docsis 2.0.

The certification signals that Juniper's back in the Docsis game after a lengthy hiatus. In 2005, Juniper and Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) announced they would co-design a modular cable modem termination system (M-CMTS), but that partnership has since been scuttled. Earlier, in 2001, Juniper jumped into the CMTS game alone by buying Pacific Broadband Communications for $200 million, but shut down that product line roughly two years later. (See Motorola, Juniper Team on Modular CMTS and Juniper Buys Pacific Broadband .)

D-Link joins the wideband party
Among other items of interest to emerge from Cert Wave 70:

  • D-Link Systems Inc. came away with its first certification for a Docsis 3.0 modem, the DCM-301. [Ed. note: W're trying to track down the product specs.]

  • Ubee Interactive also won Docsis 3.0 certification for a new product, the DDW3610, which uses the Broadcom Corp. (Nasdaq: BRCM) chipset and is capable of bonding eight downstream channels and four upstream channels (the Docsis 3.0 specs call for modems to support a minimum of four downstream and four upstream channels). Ubee's latest entry also houses an 802.11n access point.

  • Thomson S.A. (NYSE: TMS; Euronext Paris: 18453) also got the stamp for a wireless cable gateway of its own, dubbed the DCW775. It also sports Broadcom silicon and an 8x4 channel configuration. Four of those downstream channels can be used by operators to feed in dedicated IPTV services.

  • Motorola's SB6180 modem also got the Docsis 3.0 blessing from CableLabs. According to product details on that model, it also uses an 8x4 configuration. Motorola confirmed that the SB6180 is the first Broadcom-based modem from the Moto lineup to win CableLabs certification for Docsis 3.0 (the rest of Moto's D3-certified crop uses Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE: TXN) chipsets).

  • Cisco also notched Docsis 3.0 certification for the DPQ3212, an embedded multimedia terminal adapter (EMTA), or voice modem, with an 8x4 channel configuration.

  • The CG3000, a cable gateway/EMTA combo from Netgear Inc. (Nasdaq: NTGR), scored Docsis 3.0 certification following the latest Certification Wave. According to Netgear, that product also touts the 8x4 channel configuration and an 802.11n access point. A spokesperson confirmed it uses Broadcom silicon.

    Based on the results from Cert Wave 70, here's an updated list of Docsis 3.0-certified/qualified products:

    Table 1: Docsis 3.0-Certified Modems, E-MTAs and Gateways

    Vendor

    Product

    Silicon partner

    Cert wave approved

    Arris

    Touchstone 702G Embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter

    TI

    58, 59*, 63**, 67****

    Arris

    WBM750A

    TI

    59, 63**, 67****

    Cisco

    DPC3000

    TI

    58, 63**, 65***

    Cisco

    DPQ3202

    TI

    60, 63**

    Cisco

    DPC3010

    Broadcom

    65

    Cisco

    DPQ3212

    N/A

    70

    D-Link

    DCM-301

    N/A

    70

    Hitron

    BRG-35503

    TI

    61, 63**

    Juniper

    ECM3100-JU

    N/A

    70

    Motorola

    SB6120

    TI

    58, 63**, 67****

    Motorola

    SBV6220

    TI

    58, 59*, 63**

    Motorola

    SBV6120

    TI

    68

    Motorola

    SB6180

    Broadcom

    70

    Netgear

    CMD31T

    TI

    60, 63**,65***

    Netgear

    CVD31XT

    TI

    64

    Netgear

    CG3000

    Broadcom

    70

    Orient Telecom

    ORT3100

    TI

    64

    SerComm

    FM301T

    TI

    63

    SMC

    SMCD3CM

    TI

    58, 63**,65***

    SMC

    SMCD3G-BIZ

    TI

    64, 67****

    Thomson

    DCM475

    Broadcom

    65

    Thomson

    DHG575

    Broadcom

    65

    Thomson

    DCW775

    Broadcom

    70

    Ubee Interactive

    U10C035

    TI

    58, 63**, 65***

    Ubee Interactive

    DDW3600

    TI

    67

    Ubee Interactive

    DDM3500

    Broadcom

    65

    Ubee Interactive

    DVM3200 (EMTA)

    Broadcom

    65

    Ubee Interactive

    DDW3610

    Broadcom

    70

    *Device re-certified for Docsis 3.0 and obtained initial PacketCable 1.5 certification in Wave 59.
    **Device re-certified for Docsis 3.0 in Wave 63.
    ***Device re-certified for Docsis 3.0 in Wave 65.
    ****Device re-certified for Docsis 3.0 in Wave 67.
    Source: CableLabs, the companies, and Cable Digital News research.





    Table 2: Docsis 3.0-Qualified Cable Modem Termination Systems (CMTSs)

    Vendor

    Product

    Wave qualified

    Highest level of 3.0 qualification achieved*

    Arris

    C4 CMTS

    56

    Bronze

    Casa Systems

    C2200 CMTS**

    58

    Full

    Casa Systems

    C3200 CMTS

    58

    Full

    Casa Systems

    C10200

    64

    Full

    Cisco

    uBR10012

    56

    Bronze

    Motorola

    BSR64000

    58

    Bronze

    * CableLabs currently uses a tiered CMTS qualification system, awarding "Bronze," "Silver," and "Full" designations based on the product's supported features.
    ** Casa's C2200 CMTS won Silver qualification in Wave 56.
    Source: The companies, CableLabs, and Cable Digital News research.





    — Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Cable Digital News



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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