CableLabs completes Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1 spec

CableLabs has completed its Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1 specification, significantly increasing upstream capacity and enabling symmetric multi-Gigabit services over existing hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) technology. Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1 technology builds on the DOCSIS 3.1 specification, which made deployments of 10 Gbps downstream and 1 Gbps upstream broadband possible.

Full duplex communication enables upstream and downstream traffic to efficiently use the same spectrum simultaneously. In contrast, spectrum is typically split between the upstream and downstream in current DOCSIS implementations.

“In the United States, more than 90 percent of households are connected to an HFC network, and consumers typically have higher download speeds than upload speeds,” said Phil McKinney, president and chief executive officer of CableLabs. “By enabling Full Duplex DOCSIS, the upstream and downstream traffic can flow at up to 10 Gigabits concurrently, doubling the efficiency of spectrum use.”