Zoom Telephonics has broken through the Docsis 3.0 barrier with a newly CableLabs -certified modem that the company intends to sell at retail and directly to MSOs.

Zoom, the only vendor (so far) to come through Certification Wave 73 with a passing grade, got the stamp for its "5341" model, a standalone wideband cable modem. Powered by Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE: TXN) silicon, Zoom's first Docsis 3.0 modem can bond four downstream and four upstream channels -- the baseline configuration required by Docsis 3.0 specs. Some recently certified modem models based on TI and Broadcom Corp. (Nasdaq: BRCM) silicon can bond up to eight 6MHz-wide channels, enough to pump out bursts of 320 Mbit/s. (See Broadcom Breaks Docsis 3.0 Barrier and TI's Wideband Breakthrough.)



Zoom hopes to sell the model to MSOs directly, but it also expects to hawk it at retail now that it has the CableLabs OK to do so. Zoom spokesman Terry Manning notes that the company already sells Docsis 2.0 modems at Best Buy, Staples, Fry's Electronics, and Micro Center stores. The new Docsis 3.0 modem is expected to start shipping by the end of April, he says.

Zoom is also the latest vendor to sell Docsis 3.0 modems at retail to customers who'd rather buy the gear on their own and sidestep MSO lease fees. Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT), the first to do so, started selling wideband modems at Fry's almost a year ago. At last check, Fry's is selling Moto's SB6120 SURFboard Docsis 3.0 modem for $99.97. DSL Reports notes that Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) is selling it for $85.90. MSOs such as Liberty Global Inc. (Nasdaq: LBTY), meanwhile, can buy standalone Docsis 3.0 modems in bulk for about $50 per unit these days. (See For Sale: Wideband Gear and Liberty Exec Details D3's 'Sweet' Economics.)

Zoom hasn't disclosed a retail price for its wideband product, but Manning believes it will be in the sub-$100 range.

Boston-based Zoom also makes VoIP gateways, DSL and dialup modems, and Bluetooth gear under the Zoom, Hayes, and Global Village brands.

With Zoom breaking through, here's an updated list of CableLabs-certified/qualified Docsis 3.0 modems and cable modem termination systems (CMTSs):

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

Table 2: Docsis 3.0-Qualified CMTSs

— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Light Reading Cable