In the digital age, cybersecurity is the first line of defense against an ever-expanding and continually evolving array of threats. The increasing sophistication of cyber threats and a deepening dependence on interconnectivity have elevated cybersecurity technologies from a peripheral consideration to a critical priority.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but safeguarding digital integrity is a year-round commitment for CableLabs. In our Security Lab, we work to identify and mitigate threats to the access network. We proactively develop innovative technologies that make it easier for internet users to protect their digital lives.

Let’s take a look at some of the CableLabs technologies that are enhancing network security and reshaping the way we protect ourselves online.

DOCSIS 4.0 Security

The new DOCSIS® 4.0 protocol is another promising chapter in the successful life of hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks, and it brings with it notable security enhancements to the broadband community.

It’s important to note that DOCSIS 4.0 cable modems (CMs) are compatible with existing DOCSIS 3.1 networks. This allows the CMs to take advantage of higher speed tiers even without needing to upgrade the network at the same time. To fully leverage the new upstream bandwidth efficiency and security features of the protocol, both modems and cable modem termination systems (CMTSs) need to support DOCSIS 4.0 technology.

Another key security-enhancing element of the technology is that DOCSIS 4.0 networks come with upgradable security. The technology continues to support the Baseline Privacy protocol (BPI+ V1) used in DOCSIS 3.1 specifications. It also integrates the new version that can be enabled as needed (BPI+ V2).

The new version introduces mutual authentication between devices and the network, eliminates the dependency on the Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA) algorithm and implements modern key exchange mechanisms. This change enhances device authentications with Perfect Forward Secrecy and cryptographic agility and aligns DOCSIS key exchange mechanisms with the latest Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol, v1.3.

Further upgrades include enhanced revocation-checking capabilities with support for both Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) in DOCSIS 4.0 certificates. DOCSIS 4.0 also introduces standardized interfaces for managing edge device access (SSH) aimed at limiting the exposure of corporate secrets (e.g., technicians’ passwords) and incorporates a Trust on First Use (TOFU) approach for downgrade protection across BPI+ versions.

Ultimately, the new DOCSIS 4.0 security is designed to provide several options for network risk management. These features include new speeds and capabilities that can be utilized alongside today’s security properties and procedures (e.g., BPI+V1 with DOCSIS 3.1 or DOCSIS 4.0 CMTSs) and advanced protections when needed.

Matter Device Onboarding

Passwords are meant to be secret, so why are users sharing them with all of their Internet of Things (IoT) devices? At CableLabs, we’re working to make it easy for end-users to add devices to their home networks without needing to share a password with every device.

Because so many devices are communicating with one another, standardization is critical — especially when it comes to security. That’s where Matter comes in. The open-source connectivity standard is designed to enable seamless and secure connectivity among the devices in users’ smart home platforms.

Our vision is for each device to have its own credential to get on the Wi-Fi network. The access point (AP) would use this unique credential to grant the device access to the network, and the device then would verify the AP’s credential. This has three incredibly significant advantages for subscribers:

1. It vastly increases the security of the home network. This is because a compromised device cannot divulge a global network password and lead to a compromise of the entire network.

2. It’s possible to leverage the device attestation certificate that comes with every Matter device to inform the network that it’s a verified and certified device.

3. There's no need to reset every single device on the network if the Wi-Fi password is changed.

Join us for a demonstration of Matter at SCTE® Cable-Tec Expo®, which is October 17–19 in Denver, Colorado. Come see us in CableLabs’ booth 2201 to see the future of networked IoT devices and how scanning a QR code can get a device on a network with its own unique credential.

CableLabs Custom Connectivity for MDUs

One of the fastest-growing market segments for broadband providers worldwide is the multi-dwelling unit (MDU) segment. The opportunities here include fast-growing apartment communities, as well as segments such as emergency/temporary housing, low-cost housing, the hospitality and short-term rental markets, and even emergency services.

A common theme across these is the need for an alternate deployment model that allows on-demand service activation and life-cycle management, as well as custom connectivity to various devices. The traditional deployment model of installing customer premises equipment (CPE) on a per-subscriber and/or per-unit basis has hindered operators in delivering services to these segments in a cost-effective manner.

The CableLabs Custom Connectivity architecture is designed to address these constraints by providing dynamic, on-demand subscription activation and device-level management to consumers across the operator’s footprint — without the need to deploy a CPE. The architecture leverages the security controls and mechanisms designed within the CableLabs Micronets technology to provide dynamic, micro-segmentation-based subscription delivery where a subscriber’s devices can connect to their “home subscription” from anywhere on the network and across different access technologies (Wi-Fi, cellular, etc.).

Additionally, it provides consistent operational interfaces for device authentication and service provisioning, as well as billing and subscription management interfaces to enable on-the-fly subscription activation and management.

Safer Networks, Empowered Users

The importance of proactive cybersecurity measures can’t be overstated, and these cutting-edge technologies are proof of CableLabs’ ongoing commitment to enhancing network security. These innovations not only make our networks safer, but they also empower users to take charge of their own online security.

By staying at the forefront of cybersecurity advancements, CableLabs continues to ensure we can all navigate the digital world with greater confidence and peace of mind.

The future of connectivity is being built today. As new solutions enter the market and industry leaders leverage emerging technologies and 10G breakthroughs, the cable industry is making a difference with powerful capabilities that reach into nearly every home. The best place to experience these advancements in one place is in person at SCTE® Cable-Tec Expo® 2023 — and it’s all happening this month in Denver, Colorado.

SCTE Cable-Tec Expo is the largest and most influential cable industry event in the Americas, bringing together the best creative minds and the latest in pioneering technologies. This year’s event, which will mark the Cable-Tec Expo’s 40th anniversary, takes place October 16–19.

We look forward to celebrating four decades of thought leadership, technology innovation, emerging applications and business insights with thousands of other industry professionals. Join CableLabs, along with subsidiaries Kyrio and SCTE, and other cable industry leaders and experts to see what’s next for the industry.

Experience Future-Ready Technology

In the Exhibit Hall, attendees can discover new solutions and products, experience emerging technologies, and network with industry leaders and peers. Stop by booth 2201 to talk with technologists and see demonstrations of leading-edge technology solutions from CableLabs, Kyrio and Gridmetrics. Here’s a look at what you can expect to learn about in our demos.

• Experiencing holograms with 10G: Come get a glimpse into what 10G will be able to deliver in this demonstration of a 65-inch light field display. Experience realistic, next-generation 3D holograms that don't require any special glasses or head-mounted displays, and interact with applications that enhance the ways we’ll live, work, learn and play in the future.
• Effortless home networking using meshed Wi-Fi: Learn how multiple, discreet home networks can be set up on the fly with per-device credentials and prioritization using an array of meshed Wi-Fi access points. We’ll show you how this can be achieved without cables and customer premises equipment (CPE) for households and customers that were previously difficult to serve.
• Streamlined Internet of Things connections: Still sharing your network password with every single Internet of Things (IoT) device? This demonstration will show you the future of networked IoT devices, using the new IoT standard, Matter. See how scanning a QR code gets a device on the network with its own unique credential, which is more secure and easier to manage.
• Harnessing the power of DOCSIS® 4.0 technology: Come talk with us about the next generation of DOCSIS networks and hybrid fiber coax (HFC) technology, from specifications to standards, to Interop·Labs events for DOCSIS 4.0 devices, to certification. We’ll have experts on hand to highlight the benefits of new DOCSIS 4.0 technologies, including security enhancements and the ability for MSOs to increase service tiers immediately by using DOCSIS 4.0 cable modems (CMs) on DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem termination systems (CMTSs).
• Unpacking the potential of NaaP: Get an overview of application layer convergence, also known as Network as a Platform (NaaP). NaaP has been a key focus to help facilitate broader ecosystem enablement, leveraging intent-based APIs that reside in the Network Exposure Layer (NEL). This demonstration will include an NaaP program overview, industry standards alignment activity, completed lab proofs of concept and demos highlighting current intent-based APIs.
• MIND’s mastery in discovering HFC elements: This demonstration will showcase the discovery of HFC network elements and topology from a starting point of “no available as-built maps.” MIND™ — or Methodology for Intelligent Network Discovery — leverages multiple sources of information and tools, including DOCSIS technologies, Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM), geodata, direct analysis and artificial intelligence, and discovers the HFC network elements, their identifying parameters, location and connectivity. This information can then be used for numerous applications, such as map generation and verification, fraud detection, what-if scenarios, 1.8/3+ GHz planning, device localization, on-demand network characterization, etc.
• Advanced protocol efficiency for reduced lag: Protocol advancements are helping to solve the problem of lag, but how do you know if those enhancements are working? Join Kyrio for demonstrations of PON testing capabilities for ONT/ONU and OLT interoperability and thermal testing, as well as low-latency testing.
• Validating supplier solutions for 5G and Open RAN testing: In this demo, Kyrio will illustrate 5G and Open RAN testing capabilities based on a testing strategy to validate supplier solutions within operator/carrier-grade deployment scenarios. Learn how Kyrio’s comprehensive testing solutions support product design, development and launch.
• ARC Hotspot’s seamless failover capabilities: Get a first-hand look at Kyrio’s revolutionary software-based broadband failover solution, ARC Hotspot. This technology automatically performs a failover from fixed broadband to a designated mobile hotspot when broadband goes down and facilitates automatic failback when the connection is restored.
• Effortless Wi-Fi-to-mobile transitions using ARC Mobile: Learn how Kyrio is solving the seamless connectivity problem with ARC Mobile. With no additional hardware requirements, ARC Mobile seamlessly and instantaneously switches traffic between Wi-Fi and mobile networks depending on real-time network conditions.
• Amplifying power distribution grid insights with Gridmetrics: S­­­ee a demonstration of Gridmetrics’ Power Event Notification System (PENS) and learn about an evolving roadmap supporting the real-time-all-the-time needs for the modernized power distribution grid.

Visit the CableLabs booth to learn more about these cutting-edge innovations and see them in action.

Spotlighting Cable Industry Achievements

Other highlights from the event will include the Fall Technical Forum, the L&D Experience, the Open RAN Technical Summit, plus additional tracks and summits focusing on policy, strategy and security.

On Wednesday, October 18, join a special session, “Accelerating FTTP Adoption: CableLabs Leaders Discuss Lowering the Barrier to PON Deployments.” Our team of experts will offer valuable insights into passive optical networking and address critical aspects of the technology, including interoperability, training, provisioning integration and proactive network maintenance.

The session is one of several presentations and panel discussions in the Exhibit Hall’s Innovation Theater. Experts and thought leaders will take the stage throughout Expo to discuss what’s on the horizon for the industry.

Also on October 18, the SCTE Awards & 40th Anniversary of Expo Celebration will spotlight industry achievements and honor leaders and innovators who are working to advance connectivity, 10G technology and more.

There’s still time to register for the technology event of the year! Make plans to attend, and chart your path to growth and transformation.

The 5G Challenge culminated in an inspiring event September 21 with the awarding of $7 million in cash and in-kind prizes to providers of high-performing Open Radio Access Network (RAN) solutions. CableLabs, which served as the host lab in partnership with subsidiary Kyrio, welcomed U.S. and international stakeholders to our headquarters in Colorado for a ceremony marking the end of both the 2023 competition and the two-year challenge program.

Open RAN — a next-generation wireless network architecture — makes building, expanding, upgrading and repairing networks simpler and cheaper for mobile network operators (MNOs). More than half of CableLabs’ member companies are MNOs.

The 5G Challenge was launched in 2022 as a collaboration between the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s Institute for Telecommunications Sciences (NTIA-ITS) and the Department of Defense (DoD). The objective was to accelerate the widespread adoption of 5G open interfaces, interoperable subsystems, secure networks and multivendor solutions by cultivating a thriving and vibrant vendor community. We share the NTIA and DoD’s goals for creating a more competitive and diverse Open RAN ecosystem.

What Is Open RAN?

Open RAN enables mobile service providers to use subcomponents from various vendors in their wireless networks. Traditional RAN, by contrast, uses a single vendor for all its components, which limits innovation and raises costs. By avoiding vendor lock-in, mobile service providers can repair and replace RAN components and software more quickly and efficiently, which ultimately reduces the cost of deployment and overall lifecycle costs.

Collaboration at Every Level

Selected as the host lab for both years of the challenge, CableLabs partnered with Kyrio — the first O-RAN Alliance Open Testing and Integration Center (OTIC) in the Americas — to provide expertise and our facility for testing the contestants’ systems. The testing of components by an independent and neutral lab is key to the Open RAN ecosystem.

Watch the video below to take a look at our state-of-the-art lab and our expert staff working on Open RAN.

CableLabs’ ongoing involvement in Open RAN activities, including hosting O-RAN Alliance PlugFests, and our extensive expertise in mobile network technologies made our facilities well suited for meeting the goals of the challenge. Our staff also assisted the NTIA-ITS and DoD in designing the challenge, including the rules and grading process.

Nine contestants were selected for the 2023 5G Challenge, and solutions were judged for their ability to demonstrate multivendor interoperability across radio units (RUs) and combined central units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs).

“Working together as an industry, working together across the vendor community and with the support of NTIA and our other partners, we were able to do that in a very short timeframe — all of five weeks,” our president and CEO, Phil McKinney, noted during the closing ceremony. “Many people didn’t think it could be done, but it got done.”

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis was also among the government officials, policymakers, industry leaders and other experts attending the event at CableLabs’ Louisville headquarters. He commended the 2023 contestants’ spirit of innovation and touted the impact of the industry.

“I always find that these challenges really bring out the best of us,” he said. “Rather than just doing more of the same, we’re challenging people and companies to do things in new and different ways. And one thing’s for sure: The better connected we are to one another, the stronger our communities are and the stronger our economy will be. That’s really, at its core, what 5G technology is all about.”

The 5G Challenge Winners

CableLabs congratulates Lions, Mavenir, NewEdge and Radisys, which comprised the team winning the largest of the 2023 5G Challenge total prize purse awards — $3 million — in the “Stage Four: Mobility” category. The winning team and another mobility team — Capgemini, JMA Wireless and QCT/Benetel — both successfully completed Stage Four, and a tiebreaker determined the prize winner. Other winners were:

Multivendor End-to-End Integration Prizes

• First place ($750,000 each and additional lab time): Capgemini and QCT/Benetel
• Second place ($250,000 each): Lions and Radisys

Wrap-Around Emulation Prizes ($100,000 each)

• Capgemini (CU+DU)
• Fujitsu (RU)
• GXC (CU+DU and RU)
• JMA Wireless (CU+DU)
• Lions (RU)
• Mavenir (CU+DU)
• NewEdge (RU)
• QCT/Benetel (RU)
• Radisys (CU+DU)

Best in Show Prizes

• Best Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) and Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange (VEX) ($100,000 each and security testing): Fujitsu and JMA Wireless
• Best Collaborator ($20,000 and security testing): Lions

The participants successfully demonstrated end-to-end data sessions across an Open RAN architecture with multiple vendors. They also demonstrated multivendor end-to-end interoperability with three pairs of Open RAN subsystems conducting data sessions using various protocols, traffic loading and stability in varying radio frequency (RF) conditions. And, in an industry first, mobile handover between two separate multivendor Open RAN next-generation node Bs (gNBs) was achieved.

CableLabs looks forward to working with contestants that were also awarded additional lab time or security testing.

Last year, the 2022 5G Challenge offered a $3 million prize purse to contestants that successfully integrated hardware and/or software solutions for one or more RU, CU and/or DU subsystems.

Building on Successes Together

There's still more to do to fully develop the Open RAN ecosystem, and a neutral lab like ours will be essential for efficient and effective testing. CableLabs is committed to the growth of Open RAN infrastructure, and we look forward to future collaborations with the NTIA and DoD.

Together, we can build a more open and truly plug-and-play Open RAN ecosystem.

It’s been 10 years since the pay TV industry released the first report for the U.S. Set-Top Box Voluntary Agreement (STB VA), and the impressive energy savings continue! According to the most recent STB VA report covering the 2022 reporting period, the estimated national footprint of set-top boxes has dropped to 11.9 terawatt-hours per year (TWh/yr), all the way down from 32 TWh/yr in 2012!

Annual Energy Used by STBs in the United States

The 2022 savings equate to consumers saving more than $3 billion on their utility bills and avoiding over 14 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. In the 10 years of reporting, this adds up to $14.8 billion saved and 78 million metric tons of CO2 emissions avoided. That’s equal to the impact of removing 17.3 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles from the road for a full year! (Reference: Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator)

Dogora Sun/Shutterstock.com

As the pay TV industry continues to migrate to more energy-efficient architectures and STB designs, including cloud DVR and small efficient IP-based set-top boxes, the average Typical Energy Consumption (TEC) of newly purchased STBs (weighted by quantities purchased of each model) also continues to trend downward. This data point is important because it reflects improvements that are independent of decreasing subscriber counts.

Average Weighted TEC of Purchased STBs by Year

Small Network Equipment Voluntary Agreement (SNE VA)

The SNE VA has also been going strong since 2015, with seven years of reporting included in the recently released 2022 SNE VA Report. As shown in the chart below, the energy efficiency of new SNE purchases continues to improve.

Weighted Average Idle Power of New SNE Purchases Relative to Broadband Speeds

This trend is significant as the industry continues to roll out more capable equipment, supporting higher data rates, support for Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, and lower latency.

The SNE VA also expanded over this past year, adding several new signatories representing the retail market. In addition, the VA added Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) — the largest utility provider in California — as an energy efficiency advocate on the program. This is especially important to ensure that we remain aligned with the California Energy Commission’s objectives. The service provider and vendor representatives are depicted below.

SNE VA Signatories

One of the important features of these voluntary agreements is their transparency. Every report released includes an appendix that lists details about each model of equipment that was reported, including its power consumption. The 2022 SNE VA report lists more than 400 unique models of residential network equipment purchased or sold through retail by signatories!

Canadian Energy Efficiency Voluntary Agreement (CEEVA)

And we can’t forget the great progress made by our Canadian partners in the voluntary agreement world! With six years of reporting on STB purchases, the CEEVA signatories have reduced the weighted average TEC of new STB purchases by 61 percent!

Average Weighted TEC of New STB Purchases

Only three years into CEEVA SNE reporting but already trending in the right direction, the CEEVA SNE report shows a 43 percent improvement in energy efficiency of new SNE purchased by the signatories.

Weighted Average Idle Power of New SNE Purchases Relative to Broadband Speeds

Environmental Impact Is Top of Mind

It feels as if climate change is on everyone’s mind these days, as the world experiences record heat waves, devastating wildfires and extreme weather patterns. The sense of urgency to reduce our environmental impact increases every day. CableLabs is proud to have led the technical efforts on these voluntary agreements since the beginning more than 10 years ago, and we’re only gaining momentum. The success of these voluntary agreements is a great example of how every little bit of savings can add up and make a big difference.

Learn more about the voluntary agreements! We invite you to attend a special session in the Innovation in Tech Policy track — entitled “Innovation in Energy Efficiency Policy” — on October 18 at SCTE® Cable-Tec Expo® in Denver. Also, visit the NEW Sustainability and Circularity Pavilion while at Expo!

You can read more about energy efficiency on our blog and learn more about the voluntary agreements for the U.S. and Canada.

DOCSIS® 4.0 deployment is almost here. Are you ready?

Fortunately, CableLabs is getting more prepared every day. A DOCSIS 4.0 Tools and Readiness working group has been hard at work, focused solely on this new technology and aiding operators in deploying it. The working group, part of SCTE’s Network Operations Subcommittee, has been preparing for deployment for several months and will continue that work as the industry learns more about how to build, deploy and operate services on DOCSIS 4.0 networks.

CableLabs, SCTE, and several operators and vendors are collaborating to assure timely delivery of available knowledge to assist operators as they prepare to deploy DOCSIS 4.0 technology. And that technology is almost here.

In July, CableLabs completed an Interop·Labs event to prove DOCSIS 4.0 cable modems can function as intended with DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem termination systems (CMTSs). Anticipating this development, CableLabs and industry colleagues — many of whom participate in SCTE Working Group 5 (WG5) — released a public document that shared our knowledge thus far and our plans for future development of capabilities and tools.

Proactive DOCSIS 4.0 Strategies

WG5’s report, “Cable Operator Preparations for DOCSIS 4.0 Technology Deployment,” assumes that the technology is not readily available yet, so the technology addresses what operators can do now to prepare. It focuses on network operations, covering early preparations and assessment of network segments and customers. The report also dives deeper into details to find the best early implementation locations and discusses how to make use of information available from the existing DOCSIS 3.1 networks.

With this technical report, we’re helping the cable community prepare their networks and operations for this new technology, which will enable the 10G platform of the future. Operators are already getting started.

“DOCSIS 4.0 represents a significant technological step forward,” said Will Berger, vice president of Telemetry Development for Charter Communications, a CableLabs member company. “By preparing now, operators can gain a valuable head start on what will be a collective challenge for the industry. While the technical aspects of this evolution are well-known, the opportunity to gain valuable operational preparation time is critical to ensuring a smooth transition to the 10G future.”

So, what happens next? WG5 is focusing on several important problems that we expect could emerge in early deployments of DOCSIS 4.0 technology. Some of these issues include:

• Interference due to higher transmission levels.
• Noise that occurs in new frequencies and new directions in the access network.
• Frequencies that are blocked due to legacy hardware in the network.
• Signal impairments that might reveal themselves at higher frequencies or at higher power.
• Leakage that might occur at new frequencies and interfere with new higher-frequency bands.
• How to operate new amplifiers and echo cancelers.
• How to manage the profiles in this new and complex network technology.

In addition, as we learn the severity and nature of any problems in these areas, we’ll be thinking about how to use our existing tools as well as what other tools we’ll need to develop to maintain our networks at the high degree of quality needed to support DOCSIS 4.0 services.

Collaborating for Industry Impact

If all this seems daunting, you’re right. In fact, we could use your help. If you’re in the cable industry, consider joining and contributing your knowledge and expertise to the working group. It’s an opportunity to learn at the earliest possible time what problems are becoming most significant, which methods are working or not working, which techniques may be automated into tools and which approaches require new vendor tools.

Working groups are part of the SCTE Standards program, a resource that is available to employees of our member companies as part of the complimentary CableLabs All Access Benefits program. To learn more and join the DOCSIS 4.0 Tools and Readiness working group, click the button below. 

As you work to prepare and operate DOCSIS 4.0 technologies in your network, give yourself a head start by learning from others what works and what doesn’t. Better yet, share your ideas to get feedback faster and focus your efforts, while also helping others along the challenging path of technology evolution.

Also, for more about optimizing our networks, join “PNM Live!,” a panel discussion at SCTE® Cable-Tec Expo® on October 18. Experts, including CableLabs’ Jason Rupe, will discuss proactive network maintenance and how we can solve problems before customers are impacted.

Wi-Fi continues to be the world’s preferred wireless technology, with a record 19.5 billion devices expected to be in use by the end of this year. Many factors have contributed to the widespread adoption and success of Wi-Fi technology, including its support for mobility and its ubiquity due to operation in unlicensed bands and relatively low-cost deployment.

Over the years, Wi-Fi has evolved to support new applications and innovative use cases as technology has shifted toward digitization. Today, users expect more from their Wi-Fi than ever before at home, in the workplace and at school. As the demand for higher data rates and capacity continues to rise, latency and reliability have become key performance indicators to support applications such as online gaming, video conferencing and augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR).

Wi-Fi is based on amendments to the IEEE 802.11 standard. The IEEE 802.11 amendments regularly introduce new features to deliver higher throughput and capacity, increase spectrum efficiency, and lower latency and power consumption. The most recent Wi-Fi generation, Wi-Fi 6 (based on IEEE 802.11ax), was launched by Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) in 2018 for operation in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, and Wi-Fi 6E was launched in early 2021 for operation on the 6 GHz band. Wi-Fi 6/6E has strong market adoption, and WFA is now preparing the next generation of Wi-Fi — Wi-Fi 7 — to support ever-evolving applications and use cases.

Speed, Capacity, Latency and Reliability

The WFA Wi-Fi 7 certification is based on the IEEE 802.11be amendment called Extremely High Throughput (EHT), which operates on 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands. The 802.11be amendment increases throughput due to the larger 320 MHz bandwidth available at 6 GHz and 4K quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). Devices such as laptops are expected to reach speeds up to 5 Gbps in optimal wireless conditions.

One of the unique key features of 802.11be is the multi-link operation (MLO), which allows for simultaneous connections to different bands. On top of higher throughput due to link aggregation, MLO improves reliability, enhances band steering and load balancing, and reduces latency. Latency-sensitive applications and applications that require more deterministic connectivity are also supported thanks to the stream classification service (SCS) feature. The amendment also addresses spectrum efficiency and interference mitigation thanks to features such as multi-resource units (M-RUs) and preamble puncture.

Wi-Fi 7 is already gaining momentum, and many manufacturers — including original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) — have announced the availability of chipsets and solutions. The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) has just released a report that explores how Wi-Fi 7 will transform the way people worldwide live, work, learn and play. The report is available as a free download from the WBA.

Preparing for the Next Generation of Wi-Fi

While WFA focuses on developing Wi-Fi 7 certification to ensure product interoperability, IEEE 802.11 is initiating the development of the next IEEE 802.11 amendment, known as 802.11bn (likely to be marketed as Wi-Fi 8). It typically takes several years to complete 802.11 amendments, and the finalization of 802.11bn isn’t expected before 2027 or 2028.

IEEE 802.11bn will focus on reliability, including increasing throughput at range, reducing tail latency and supporting seamless/near-seamless roaming/mobility. It will also provide schemes to reduce access point (AP) power consumption as regulators around the globe address customer premises equipment (CPE) power consumption.

How is CableLabs working to support these efforts? As part of our ongoing mission to represent the interests of our members, we take part in many WFA and IEEE 802.11 working groups to shape the future of Wi-Fi.

We also actively participate in the WBA, which fosters collaboration and promotes the development of wireless broadband technologies and services. Together with other industry leaders, we’re working to develop a Wi-Fi infrastructure that can support the development of future technology, meet expanding user needs and deliver great user experiences.

Visit our website to learn how we’re supporting these initiatives in our Wi-Fi Lab.

Innovation flourishes when collaboration meets experimentation and expertise. At CableLabs, this synergy is helping us blaze new trails into our digital future. Thanks to our culture of co-innovation, we’re redefining expectations and reshaping possibilities for tomorrow’s broadband technologies. 

These innovations benefit not only the global industry and member companies we serve but also consumers all over the world. They move us closer to the transformative digital experiences that we anticipate in the near future.

Earlier this year, we walked you through some of our labs’ capabilities. In these purpose-built facilities, our experts breathe life into early-stage ideas, fine-tune the resulting technologies and prepare those innovations for real-world deployment. 

Now, we want to give you a look inside. We invite you to watch the video below for a look at the spaces we have built to fuel imagination and ignite innovation. 

Thriving on Co-Innovation

CableLabs was founded on a promise to serve as the R&D consortium for our industry and, for more than 30 years, we’ve been championing the power of co-innovation. We know that the industry is stronger when we work together. Collaboration makes us better served to transform the way people live, work, learn and play. And it all begins in our state-of-the-art labs.

Our Labs at a Glance

Research & Development Labs — In these labs, our experts hone technologies including 10G: Convergence, Mobile, Hybrid Fiber Coax and many more. The labs can be interconnected to simulate a range of scenarios.

Kyrio Test Services — Kyrio, a CableLabs subsidiary, provides testing of network equipment for operators and suppliers in the Kyrio Lab. The Kyrio Test House offers a real-world environment to test the performance of Wi-Fi devices. 

System & Device Test Environments — Kyrio uses these labs to simulate a variety of scenarios when used in combination with any of our other labs. The environments include anechoic chambers and environments for research and the testing of devices for energy efficiency and radio frequency (RF) isolation capabilities.

Next-Generation Technologies Lab — In this lab, we investigate and experiment with long-term possibilities, including quantum networking mechanisms to defend against cyber-attacks and ultimately access quantum computers.

Shape the Future With Us

With top-of-the-line equipment and an eagerness for co-invention, CableLabs’ experts are available to partner with members, vendors and other collaborators. Click the button below to learn more about each of our labs and how to connect with our lab experts. 

Come collaborate, and join us in building a better, brighter future.

CableLabs and Kyrio hosted a second DOCSIS® 4.0 Interop·Labs Event August 14–17 at our headquarters in Louisville, Colorado. This event built on our successes in July, focusing on interoperability between DOCSIS 4.0 cable modems (CMs) and DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem termination systems (CMTSs).

Attendance was up from the July interop, along with the addition of more CMs, CMTSs and test equipment. For this interop, seven DOCSIS 4.0 CMs from four suppliers were interconnected to seven DOCSIS 3.1 CMTSs from five companies. Participating suppliers were Arcadyan, Casa Systems, Cisco, CommScope, Harmonic, Sagemcom, Ubee Interactive, Vantiva and Vecima. EPIDoX.solutions and Rohde & Schwarz also attended with DOCSIS 4.0 test systems. Operators attended to observe the interop and talk about their DOCSIS 4.0 technology plans.

Engineers collaborate August 15 at the CableLabs DOCSIS 4.0 Interop·Labs Event.

Securing Customer Data Is Essential

The focus of this interop was security. Every day, tens of millions of broadband users connect with DOCSIS technology, using it for everything from ordering a pizza to sharing a video, from remote learning and remote medical appointments to purchasing household items and booking family vacations. Security in these activities is paramount to ensuring the best broadband experience possible.

Here’s an interesting tidbit about DOCSIS security: The methods we use at CableLabs are all published and available to the public — and always have been. DOCSIS security doesn’t depend on the secrecy of the implementation or its components. Rather, DOCSIS security is based on the strength of the algorithms and protocols in use, and these tools are updated from time to time to keep the security level high.

The security technologies are somewhat complex but can be summarized in two areas: authentication and encryption.

Authentication is as simple as the CM trusting the CMTS and the CMTS trusting the CM. It’s accomplished using digital certificates. DOCSIS technology has pioneered the use of public key cryptography on a mass scale. The DOCSIS public key infrastructure (PKI) is among the largest PKIs in the world, with half a billion active certificates issued and actively used every day.

Once authentication is complete and trust is established, the CM and CMTS exchange materials to encrypt the user traffic. Encryption makes the user traffic look like gibberish; without the means to decrypt the traffic, anyone snooping in on it would find it’s unintelligible. This methodology keeps users’ information secret.

As this Interop·Labs event examined interoperability with DOCSIS 3.1 CMTSs, it also looked at authentication and encryption, which are enabled by the Baseline Privacy Interface Plus (BPI+). A deeper dive on DOCSIS security capabilities can be found here, and further details about the cable security experience here.

Engineers work together during the four-day event.

The Importance of Getting the Community Together

A big takeaway from the July interop was the importance of suppliers getting to know each other, creating relationships and collaborating ahead of this August interop. There’s been a lot of activity over this past month, at both CableLabs and supplier locations. The CableLabs security team was also busy ahead of time, working with suppliers to distribute materials and answer questions about DOCSIS security.

Because of this up-front work, we were able to get right to work on the August interop. With the latest products and software on hand, we stepped through all of the possible equipment combinations to explore how each worked to get CMs online with security.

Then, with security enabled, we again achieved the high speeds expected with DOCSIS 4.0 broadband — this time with line-rate encryption of the traffic. The highest downstream speeds were achieved with five 192 MHz OFDM channels (total of 960 MHz), which provided around 8.5 Gbps. On the upstream, a high-split channel lineup of QAMs and 2 OFDMA channels provided around 1.5 Gbps.

Everyone, including CableLabs, left the interop with new tasks to tackle, which is typically the case with maturing products and expected with events like these.

Overall, all of the participants left this interop in a good place, in terms of functionality and multi-vendor interoperability. From here, the suppliers can layer on additional functionality and add maturity to their products, working together in their own labs and at CableLabs.

Demonstrations at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo

The focus is now on successful technology demonstrations at the SCTE® Cable-Tec Expo® in October, in Denver, Colorado. Our experts will be on hand at booth 2201, so make plans to stop by if you’re attending.

We’re planning another in-person interop at CableLabs after Cable-Tec Expo. We’re actively working with the supplier community on both the timing and topics for this next interop. Stay tuned for more information.

In a digital world where every second counts, technologies that enable smooth, efficient transmission of data are paramount to ensuring the quality of our online experiences. Reliable connectivity is a must, and the need for it grows exponentially more essential every day, particularly as more applications harness the power of 10G.

The 10G platform is a game-changing, multigigabit network made possible by DOCSIS technologies. It will deliver faster speeds, enhanced reliability, better security and lower latency. Low latency is especially critical for real-time communication applications because it helps create user experiences that are free of delay and disruption.

Many of the applications that we use every day weren’t designed with low latency in mind, and they actually cause network congestion that can disrupt our real-time communications. That’s why we need solutions that can relieve networks of this congestion by combating latency, jitter and packet loss. Low-Latency, Low-Loss Scalable Throughput (L4S) technology is a part of that solution.

What Causes Network Congestion and Latency?

It’s important to understand the source of network congestion and the reason for it. Although it’s well known that latency increases when congestion increases, what’s less commonly known is why it happens. Contrary to what many people think, it’s not the result of too much traffic and too little available bandwidth.

In reality, most of the applications we use every day use congestion control. What that means is that applications are constantly adjusting their sending rates, aiming to send as fast as they can and backing off only when they detect congestion. But congestion-control mechanisms that applications use haven’t evolved significantly since the early days of the internet in the mid-1980s. Those algorithms, such as TCP Reno and CUBIC, rely on the network to provide deep packet buffers and then drop packets when the buffers overflow. The algorithm ramps up, causes delay and packet loss, backs off and ramps up again. As a result, those mechanisms can introduce latency, jitter (also known as latency variation) and packet loss — not only to themselves but also to other applications using the network at the same time.

What Is L4S?

L4S is a core component of the Low Latency DOCSIS specifications, which many other networking technologies are also adopting. It enables a new congestion-control mechanism for capacity-seeking applications wanting to optimize their sending rate, while dramatically reducing network latency, jitter and packet loss.

L4S is ideal for applications that are optimized by high data rates, consistent ultra-low latency and near-zero packet loss — including cloud gaming and virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) applications and high-quality video conferencing. L4S is also beneficial for other applications that are latency-bound, such as general HTTP traffic.

How Does L4S Work?

The end-to-end L4S solution provides high-fidelity congestion feedback from the network bottlenecks to the applications being used. The process involves applications implementing a new congestion-control algorithm that can understand that feedback, adjust their sending rates with better precision and fully utilize link capacity without causing latency and packet loss.

The L4S mechanism can be used by any application, such as TCP or QUIC, as well as real-time applications that use UDP or RTP.

A standardized solution defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force, L4S has already been adopted by cable broadband networks and is supported in the DOCSIS cable modem protocol. Work is underway to implement it in 5G and Wi-Fi networks.

I delve much deeper into L4S in the video below. Watch to learn more about how it's being implemented, the results of recent testing and performance findings, and more.

For the first time since we published the DOCSIS® 4.0 specifications in 2020, the DOCSIS community recently came together for an Interop•Labs event. With Kyrio support, CableLabs hosted the interop July 17–21 at our headquarters in Louisville, Colorado. The event was a success on multiple fronts, and I was particularly excited by the strong turnout from suppliers and operators.

Both cable modem termination system (CMTS) and cable modem (CM) suppliers began the work to bring this technology to the field. For the in-person event, suppliers brought more than a dozen products to our lab. Operators also attended to observe, provide encouragement and offer operational perspectives.

The Importance of DOCSIS 4.0 Interoperability

In our lab, CableLabs provided an environment for all this equipment to come together — with a focus on the DOCSIS 4.0 specifications that are so important for interoperability. Interoperability allows:

• Suppliers to compete in a larger market.
• Operators to have more choices in the services they offer to subscribers.
• Competition and innovation to occur among a larger community of smart people.

It really is the cornerstone of what CableLabs and Kyrio bring to the table for the DOCSIS specifications.

Interoperability is pretty tricky to achieve and takes attention to details contained in the specifications. The CMTS and CM must both interpret and agree on a number of parameters to work together to provide service (e.g., the downstream and upstream channels that a CM can use). This sometimes comes down to an interpretation of the specification — expertise that’s right in CableLabs’ wheelhouse.

Pair, Re-Pair, Repeat: How the Interop Unfolded

For this interop, six DOCSIS 4.0 CMs from four suppliers were interconnected to six DOCSIS 3.1 CMTSs from five companies. Participating suppliers were Arcadyan, Casa Systems, Cisco, CommScope, Harmonic, Sagemcom, Ubee, Vantiva and Vecima. EPiDoX also attended with a prototype DOCSIS 4.0 test system.

The CMTS and CM suppliers iteratively paired CMs to CMTSs to test interoperability. During this pairing and re-pairing, participants investigated the functionality and interoperability of the CM and CMTS equipment against the DOCSIS specification requirements. This process ensured all connectivity options between the CMs and the CMTSs were investigated.

Suppliers worked diligently to meet the goals of the interop and then went the extra mile to pursue “stretch” goals. Everyone came prepared with a collaborative attitude.

The cable modems successfully connected to CMTSs the first time, which was reassuring because DOCSIS 4.0 technology can be seen as an extension of DOCSIS 3.1 technology. We discovered some issues, of course, and everyone — including CableLabs — left the interop with something to work on. This is par for the course for a first interop, and it’s exactly the reason we hold these events.

And, yes, the DOCSIS systems we investigated passed high-speed traffic. Very high speed, as in gigabits-per-second downstream and upstream. For me, a long-time DOCSIS expert who still remembers dial-up speed, DOCSIS 1.0 speeds and everything since, it really was quite amazing to witness the speeds that DOCSIS 4.0 technology makes possible. This included DOCSIS 3.1 CMTSs augmented with additional channels to support DOCSIS 4.0 modems, as referenced in this earlier blog post.

The Interop•Labs event also let me get reacquainted with several colleagues that I hadn’t seen in several years; it was good to refresh those friendships and working relationships. There were new faces, too — at least to me — and I got to meet and work with those folks, as well.

Marching Ahead to DOCSIS 4.0 Availability

Another in-person interop is scheduled for August 14–17, again at CableLabs’ Louisville office. We expect the same participants, and we’ll revisit the scenarios from July and take a look at some new ones. The goal is to keep pushing a more rigorous and deeper understanding of the DOCSIS 4.0 specifications and product maturity.

Although speed is fun to witness, the areas of lower latency, enhanced security and increased reliability are co-equal pillars of the 10G network and are all supported by DOCSIS 4.0 specifications. DOCSIS 4.0 technology is going to blow some minds when it gets unleashed, and it will raise the bar for consumer broadband higher than ever.

After the August interop, our focus will turn to the SCTE® Cable-Tec Expo® in October in Denver. Believe me: You’ll want to attend and see these developments for yourself. The industry is focused on bringing DOCSIS 4.0 technology to market, and it will be all over the show floor — including the hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) network equipment. End to end, suppliers have been working overtime to make this event a showcase. You won’t be disappointed.