In a world that increasingly depends on digital connections, network as a service (NaaS) has emerged as a game-changing technology. By making network functionalities available as on-demand services across the ecosystem, NaaS empowers developers to build applications that dynamically leverage network resources without needing deep knowledge of the underlying infrastructure. However, as powerful as NaaS is, the process of onboarding developers to access these services remains complex and often inefficient.

To address these challenges, Charter Communications presented a federated approach — the Federated Developer Portal (FDP) — that CableLabs introduced at SCTE TechExpo 2024. The FDP represents a forward-thinking solution that simplifies NaaS access across multiple network operators. This federated model creates a streamlined, secure and scalable environment that allows application developers and operators to collaborate with ease.

The Current Challenges of NaaS at Scale

Although the NaaS APIs that enable developers to create innovative applications are standardized, the processes of onboarding developers and managing applications are not. Because of the current structure, developers must navigate a patchwork of requirements and systems specific to each operator:

• Per-operator onboarding. Developers are often required to individually register and gain approval with each network operator. This process is labor-intensive, repetitive and vulnerable to delay.
• Decentralized integration requirements. Integrating with APIs on a per-operator basis results in diverse, sometimes incompatible processes, creating technical overhead for developers and delaying time to market.
• Single point of failure in centralized systems. When using a centralized model for managing NaaS access, all governance and management operations flow through one system. This approach increases the risk of single points of failure, which can lead to service interruptions or more impactful security vulnerabilities.

Considering these challenges, a federated solution is ideal — one where application developers can register with a consortium of network operators that interoperate at the governance level to manage application developers, applications and their access without compromising trust within the ecosystem. A federated approach offers a resilient, scalable solution that maintains the autonomy of each network operator while giving developers a unified interface for onboarding and management.

What Is the FDP?

The FDP provides a secure, federated platform where network operators and developers interact seamlessly. With FDP, developers can access NaaS capabilities from multiple operators through a single portal, significantly reducing the complexity of onboarding and integration, as well as enabling industry-wide scale. Behind the scenes, trust is maintained through identities based on public key infrastructure (PKI) and the use of digital signatures.

Figure 1: Sample FDP service catalog, from the developer’s perspective

Here are the key features of the FDP:

• Unified interaction point. Network operators and developers have a single, user-friendly interface for application registration, service browsing and management.
• Aggregated service catalogs. Each operator publishes an up-to-date catalog of its available APIs and services, allowing developers to view and select those that suit their applications. This catalog provides essential details, such as API capabilities and supported use cases, giving developers a clear view of network options. Figure 1 provides a sample view of collected service catalogs in our implementation.
• Federated access and approval. Operators retain control over their infrastructure but can securely share service catalogs and API access within the FDP. When developers onboard and submit applications, approval workflows enable each operator to review and approve applications according to its policies, ensuring that only authenticated and authorized applications gain access to network resources.
• Maintained trust. Trust in consortium data is maintained with digital signatures backed by PKI to provide consortium-wide assurance of data integrity and authenticity.
• Modularity. The key components that perform data propagation — the federated agent and the Data Propagation Layer (DPL) — offer an abstraction that enables various propagation technologies, including event streaming, distributed ledgers and more. CableLabs’ key contribution is the definition of governance APIs, which enable flexibility in operator deployment strategy.

An Overview of the FDP Architecture

Figure 2 provides a high-level component view of our implementation.

Figure 2: Overview of the FDP architecture

In brief, each network operator deploys a traditional REST API and web interface that application developers can interact with, as well as the components that facilitate data propagation:

• Our DPL is built with Kafka, where governance operations are propagated as events sent to each network operator’s Kafka broker.
• The federated agent is the key element that exposes our governance APIs and enables modularity of the DPL. As the figure shows, the federated agent facilitates propagation by exchanging data with the Kafka layer.

An Example of the Federated Data Flow

Let’s walk through a high-level example of data propagation through the consortium. Imagine that a developer is registering an application with the consortium of network operators through the FDP, as Figure 3 illustrates.

Figure 3: Sample FDP application submission

• Application submission. The developer submits information about his or her application, including which APIs it will leverage. During this step, the developer can see the reach of that application through an informative display of the aggregated service catalogs that the developer has access to. The figure depicts the application submission form of our FDP implementation.
•  Consortium data propagation. The submitted information about the new application is propagated to the other network operators via the federated agent and DPL, ensuring that all network operators receive the updated data.
• Approval flow. All network operators have an opportunity to review and approve the new application when it’s received by their deployment.

Key Benefits of the Federated Developer Portal

By adopting the FDP model, both network operators and developers benefit in multiple ways:

• Reduced complexity for developers. Instead of handling onboarding and API integration separately with each operator, developers interact with a single federated system. This one-stop approach allows them to focus on application innovation rather than logistics management.
• Reduced complexity for operators. Operators establish and maintain relationships with a growing number of developers using a single, consistent process, unlocking the full potential of NaaS at scale.
• Increased resiliency for operators. The FDP’s distributed nature eliminates risks tied to single points of failure. Each operator can maintain autonomous operations, ensuring that system outages or vulnerabilities in one part do not affect the entire ecosystem.
• Distributed centralization. The FDP combines the best of both worlds by providing a centralized interface without compromising the decentralized nature of each operator’s control over its infrastructure.

The Future of the FDP

Although the FDP already addresses key challenges, the platform will continue to evolve. Future iterations aim to support advanced provisioning, offer enhanced metadata within service catalogs and improve governance features for seamless operator and developer collaboration.

Possible enhancements on the horizon include:

• Expanded metadata for service catalogs. Adding more detailed descriptions within catalogs will enable developers to choose services more effectively, considering factors such as network capacity, quality tiers and geographic availability.
• Standardized governance APIs. Establishing uniform governance protocols across operators will streamline approval processes, making it easier to manage applications and handle exceptions.
• Enhanced resiliency and state management. The evolution of FDP will incorporate mechanisms to maintain system stability even under complex operational conditions, ensuring continuous service and data consistency.

Join the Federated NaaS Movement

The FDP is more than just a tool; it’s the backbone for the future of network-driven innovation. With a unified platform, secure data exchanges and a distributed model, the FDP is here to empower developers, simplify operations and strengthen the NaaS ecosystem for all.

All this being said, to fully realize the FDP’s potential, we need input and collaboration from network operators, developers and other stakeholders. Your involvement could shape the future of this platform and help drive innovations that will set new standards for network-enabled applications.

If you’re interested in learning more about the FDP or want to see a live demonstration, don’t hesitate to contact our team! Together, we can build a resilient, innovative foundation that will support the next generation of network-based services.

To learn more about NaaS, register for the next CableLabs Live Webinar, “Taking NaaS APIs to Production: Best Practices and Operational Readiness,” exclusively for employees of CableLabs member companies and our NDA vendor community. The webinar on Dec. 11 will include experts from Charter and Vodafone, who will share insights on how they have been able to expose their APIs to offer differentiated services and take those services into production.

Smart networks of the future will be characterized by their ability to adapt to the ever-changing needs of businesses and consumers. Powered by advanced network telemetry and automation, these networks will be highly visible and resilient, able to withstand disruptions and attacks without compromising performance. 

Achieving the goal of pervasive intelligence, security and privacy across networks will ensure information and data security, unmatched performance and reliability in any connectivity context. Security will be built into the network from the ground up, and security policies will be defined and implemented using scalable solutions that evolve with the network.  

Watch the video below to learn how pervasive intelligence, security and privacy — a core pillar of the CableLabs Technology Vision — will ensure that users are always protected, even as the network changes. 

Networks of the future will protect users with intelligence at every point, using AI and machine learning to identify and resolve problems before they impact users. CableLabs fosters collaboration across the industry to achieve these goals, driving industry alignment and prioritizing interoperability.  

Explore our working groups and learn how you can get involved in architecting the future. 

Did you know that there is more to Wi-Fi than plugging in your router and choosing your internet service provider? To unlock faster speeds and get the best connection, it’s helpful to understand how Wi-Fi works and what you can do to improve performance in your home.

Wi-Fi operates using a complex system of radio waves. Like sound waves, these waves can experience interference from environmental factors. Signals can bounce off or be absorbed by walls, metal appliances and even water-filled items like aquariums. This interference weakens the signal leading to slower speeds and connectivity issues, especially as the distance from the router increases.

For most users, simple adjustments like moving your router to a different location in your home can improve signal strength and connection quality.

Watch our video, “How Does Wi-Fi Really Work?,” to learn more about how you can reduce interference and enjoy a better Wi-Fi experience.

At the latest DOCSIS 4.0 Interop·Labs event — which took place Nov. 4–7 at CableLabs’ headquarters in Louisville, Colorado — equipment suppliers showcased their efforts to deliver on the 10G platform through DOCSIS 4.0 technology. All four 10G pillars were on display: faster speeds, lower latency, enhanced security and increased reliability. These pillars were all designed into the DOCSIS 4.0 specifications, and we’ve reached the point at which the products simply work.

We want to thank the participants who helped make the event successful and once again helped us achieve a high level of productivity. To recap the major themes of the event:

• Speeds are rock solid. Demonstrations boasted downstream speeds faster than 9 Gbps that were limited only by the single 10 Gbps interface on the modems. Upstream speeds can exceed 2 Gbps on and go even higher.
• The new focus is interoperability. Products are maturing, and suppliers are differentiating their offerings. As operators continue to seriously develop deployment scenarios, we want to ensure that the specifications are clear enough to handle real-world deployment, including specific configurations, corner cases and race conditions. Four operators attended this interop to provide guidance on deployment scenarios. Much effort went into exercising interoperability and identifying areas for work.
• Energy efficiency is on the rise. A burgeoning trend at this interop was energy management. New features will benefit consumers by providing options to conserve energy in various scenarios.
• Reliability is a reliable theme. We continue to examine the copious data available from the modems — in particular, DOCSIS 4.0 cable modem Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM) functions that can be used to increase the reliability of service offerings.

Supplier Participation

Attendance at the interop was high, as it offered the last best opportunity to get this work in before the 2024 holiday season arrived. The aforementioned operators who joined us to observe demonstrations went out of their way to interact with suppliers and talk about their own DOCSIS 4.0 network progress.

Among the suppliers were CommScope and Harmonic, both of which brought DOCSIS 4.0 cores to the interop. There were also three 1.8 GHz remote PHY devices (RPDs) from CommScope, Harmonic and Vecima Networks. In addition, seven DOCSIS 4.0 modem suppliers — Arcadyan, Askey, Gemtek, Hitron, Sagemcom, Sercomm and Ubee Interactive — brought multiple cable modem models. Calian participated with its suite of DOCSIS technology analyzers and tools.

Remote-PHY Interoperability

The DOCSIS modem termination system (CMTS) has been virtualized, and the software portion is referred to as the core. The physical layer of the CMTS has moved to the RPD in the fiber node. In other words, the CMTS has been disaggregated, and the core and RPD can (and will) come from different suppliers. The modem can come from yet another supplier. These three pieces need to work together to provide service.

At our interop events, we like to delve into multiple real-world configurations. The core calls the shots and configures the RPD for the downstream and upstream signals, and then the core manages the DOCSIS cable modems. Flexibility is built into this scenario, however, and we’re constantly working to get everything right and interoperable. It’s for this reason that operators attend the interop events — to clarify how DOCSIS 4.0 technology can be introduced to the networks, including backward compatibility with existing services.

Energy Management

Energy management is an important function for cable modems. DOCSIS cable modems and cores support a low-power energy mode called the Energy Management (EM) mode. During idle times, when a single upstream and downstream channel can meet a user’s data-rate demand, the cable modem switches to EM mode. When the modem requires a higher data rate than the reduced set of channels can provide, the core instructs the modem to return to the larger transmit-and-receive channel set.

EM mode can also be used during a power outage — for example, when a modem goes into battery back-up but continues to provide digital phone service. In this scenario, EM mode can conserve battery power when the traffic is low, exhibiting minimum impact on normal service, to prolong access to digital voice service, especially the 911 emergency call service.

The EM feature shows how people rely on their broadband connection for all services, not just web and email. The feature also reveals how DOCSIS technology has evolved to address these needs as a broadband service of choice.

Proactive Network Maintenance

PNM is an important function that increases network reliability. We always look at the PNM data available from DOCSIS device, because it’s a sign of product maturity. This PNM data enables the most efficient operation of the coaxial cable network, keeping the data levels at their peak by using the more efficient orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) and OFDM access (OFDMA) signals, and allowing the diagnosis and maintenance of the network before consumers ever notice an issue.

Join Us Next Time!

We’ve gone beyond the basics of the four pillars. The focus of our DOCSIS 4.0 interops is now interoperability, interoperability and more interoperability! These products are soon headed to the field, in various configurations with multiple suppliers’ products having to work together. And this work will continue into 2025 as DOCSIS 4.0 technology comes into use.

The next DOCSIS 4.0 interop event is planned for the week of Feb. 10, 2025, at CableLabs’ headquarters in Louisville, Colorado. The event will provide an opportunity for new suppliers and new products as we kick off the new calendar year.

And don’t forget: Right around the corner in March 2025 are CableLabs Winter Conference and Smaller Market Conference.

In the broadband industry, network operators and vendors are continually working together to advance interoperability and streamline operations — but the puzzle pieces don't always fall into place easily. Passive optical networks (PONs), for example, face the ongoing challenge of achieving interoperability without stifling innovation. PON standards are intentionally written to be flexible and to encourage innovation. When translated to practical implementation, this approach has led to diverse interpretations, creating interoperability challenges.

PON standards establish functional and behavioral requirements that span a network’s operational layers. These standards alone do not guarantee interoperability among vendors. For network operators, lack of interoperability leads to fragmentation and vendor lock-in. This includes bookended deployments, in which optical network units (ONUs) and optical line terminals (OLTs) must be provided by the same vendor. These limitations and challenges drive up operational costs, increase network complexity and extend time to market as operators grapple with compatibility issues.

Early in the evolution of PON, CableLabs’ DOCSIS®️ Provisioning of EPON (DPoE) specifications and certification program represented a significant advancement in addressing these challenges. By implementing rigorous interoperability testing between ONUs and OLTs, DPoE demonstrated that detailed specifications combined with collaborative industry efforts can achieve multi-vendor PON equipment compatibility. This success provided valuable insights for advancing interoperability across the broader PON ecosystem.

But DPoE's scope was focused on PON based on IEEE standards, so it did not address the interoperability challenges present in PON based on ITU-T standards. This is particularly evident in the deployment of XGS-PON, which is becoming the predominant ITU-T-based PON technology worldwide. As the industry moves toward newer technologies like 25GS-PON and 50G-PON, establishing robust interoperability standards becomes increasingly critical.

BBF has made significant strides in advancing PON interoperability through its comprehensive testing framework. By developing detailed test plans and guidelines, the organization addresses the implementation gaps in ITU-T PON standards. Its cornerstone documents — TR-255 “GPON Interoperability Test Plan,” TR-309 “PON TC Layer Interoperability Test Plan” and TP-247 “G-PON & XG-PON & XGS-PON ONU Conformance Test Plan” — establish rigorous testing protocols for various network scenarios, from traffic management to fault handling.

Advancing Interoperability Together

CableLabs recently hosted a PON Plugfest interoperability event on behalf of the Broadband Forum (BBF). CableLabs, a member of the Broadband Forum, provides the technologies, experts and tools to advance ideas from research to real-world deployment. CableLabs is well equipped to offer testing services for hybrid fiber coax (HFC), fiber to the premises (FTTP) and mobile network equipment — making our state-of-the-art facilities ideal for interoperability testing and an event like this.

This event provided a neutral environment in which vendors could work collaboratively to test their products for interoperability — for both XGS-PON and 25GS-PON implementations — according to test plans created by the Broadband Forum.

Collaborate With Us

It is essential for industry partners like CableLabs and BBF to work together to chart the next phase of specification development and drive interoperability standards for OLTs and ONUs. We invite our members and the vendor community to join us in CableLabs’ Interop·Labs events and in other opportunities for collaboration, such as our working groups, to gain valuable insights into key industry technologies and interoperability challenges and opportunities.

What would a future built on seamless network connectivity look like in the real world? For users, it would create seamless experiences that never require switching from one network to another due to dropped connections.  

For operators, seamless connectivity means delivering context-aware networks that are self-learning, self-healing and self-securing. Built on fixed mobile convergence, managed Wi-Fi and profile management applications, these networks will create reliable, stable connections across all networks anywhere and on any device.  

Watch the video below to learn how seamless connectivity plays a key role in the CableLabs Technology Vision as one of the three pillars needed to build adaptive networks. 

Achieving this vision will require collaboration across the industry to ensure alignment and interoperability. CableLabs fosters these connections through working groups that bring together our members, vendors and industry peers to develop future-ready solutions. We invite you to join us as we work together to advance connectivity. 

A fundamental enabler in connecting people around the globe, DOCSIS technology has empowered millions to live, work, learn and play. Since the days of the first DOCSIS 1.0 cable modems (CMs) almost 30 years ago, DOCSIS technology has continued to evolve, benefitting from a robust ecosystem of operators and vendors working together with CableLabs to develop technologies that enable differentiated services.

Just in the last decade, operators have moved from DOCSIS 3.0 technology to deploying DOCSIS 3.1 technology at scale. Now, in 2024 and going into 2025, operators are evaluating, starting initial deployments and rolling out DOCSIS 4.0 networks.

Because DOCSIS networks always provide backward compatibility, older modems can coexist and provide service to customers even after the operator has moved ahead to newer technology. This is critical as modems often live in the network for many years.

Work at CableLabs is underway to define the future of DOCSIS networks and the technology’s role in our broader network strategy. For a better understanding of what’s ahead, let’s discuss some of the recent evolutionary steps in the DOCSIS technology ecosystem.

What Is DOCSIS 3.0?

DOCSIS 3.0 networks introduced channel bonding and allowed operators to bond multiple single carrier quadrature amplitude modulation (SC-QAM) channels together (in both the upstream and downstream directions) to increase the available speeds at the CM. A DOCSIS 3.0 CM with 32 SC-QAM channels in the downstream and four SC-QAM channels in the upstream could theoretically get a peak throughput of 1 Gbps/100 Mbps (downstream/upstream) on the network, though actual service tiers offered on individual networks may have differed.

What Is DOCSIS 3.1?

DOCSIS 3.1 technology introduced orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technology. A DOCSIS 3.1 CM, typically with two OFDM channels and 32 SC-QAM channels in the downstream and two OFDMA channels and four SC-QAM channels in the upstream, theoretically would get to a throughput of 5 Gbps/1.7 Gbps on the network. Actual service tiers offered by operators would be dependent on their network configuration and channels and service tiers enabled.

DOCSIS 3.1 technology allowed operators to enable gigabit and multigigabit service offerings (downstream) in their markets. Depending on the operator upgrades to their outside plant, the upstream capacities could range from 100 to 250 Mbps on a low-split plant, to 250 to 575 Mbps on a mid-split plant, to 1.5 to 1.7 Gbps on a high-split plant.

What Is DOCSIS 3.1 Plus?

In the last year, vendors have built DOCSIS 3.1 cable modems with additional downstream channel capabilities, going up from two, to four or even five OFDM channels. This is a welcome product extension beyond the minimum device capabilities described in the DOCSIS 3.1 specifications.

CableLabs, along with our member operators in the industry and NCTA, are coalescing around the term DOCSIS 3.1 Plus (DOCSIS 3.1+) CM to identify this new class of modems. DOCSIS 3.1 Plus CMs will enable up to 8 or 9 Gbps on the downstream — again, depending on the spectrum available in the cable plant for an operator. Typically, a software upgrade is needed on the CMTS to enable the additional channels. Alternatively, an operator can also seed the network with DOCSIS 4.0 CMs, which have a minimum of five OFDM channels, on existing DOCSIS 3.1 CMTS to support similar increases in downstream speeds.

What Is DOCSIS 4.0?

DOCSIS 4.0 technology is the latest generation of high-speed broadband solutions over hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks. DOCSIS 4.0 technology catapults the broadband network speeds up to 10 Gbps downstream and 6 Gbps upstream.

DOCSIS 4.0 specifications build on the OFDM and OFDMA technology. It increases the spectrum available for the upstream and downstream and then fills them with more OFDM and OFDMA channels. The technology allows different outside plant upgrade paths to operators, a frequency division duplex (FDD) mode or a full duplex (FDX) mode of operation. For FDD mode, there are different upstream/downstream splits an operator can choose for their outside plant, each providing an increase in upstream/downstream capacity. FDX mode also enables flexibility in how operators size and utilize the FDX portion of the spectrum to meet the needs of their customers.

In an FDD plant, for an FDD CM, the upstream capacities could range from 4.2 Gbps (on a UHS-396 MHz plant), to 6 Gbps on a (UHS-684 MHz plant) and the downstream capacities could range from 9-10 Gbps. In an FDX plant, an FDX CM also can reach up to 6 Gbps on the upstream and 9-10 Gbps or more on the downstream. This is assuming a DOCSIS 4.0 CM has the required minimum support for five OFDM downstream channels and seven OFDMA channels. A CM with more channels and on a plant where the additional spectrum is enabled could get downstream speeds beyond 10 Gbps.

Current product developments also enable devices that can operate on both types of networks — either FDD or FDX (albeit not at the same time, as the outside plant will be configured for either one mode of operation or the other). In addition, a DOCSIS 3.1 CM can also be software upgraded to participate in an FDX network, known as an FDX-Limited or an FDX-L CM, with limited capabilities for operating within the FDX band. Though this CM’s peak speeds remain the same, it allows operators to use the FDX spectrum flexibly, for both DOCSIS 3.1 CMs and DOCSIS 4.0 CMs.

The DOCSIS Technology Evolution

CableLabs has hosted nine DOCSIS 4.0 Interop·Labs events since July of 2023, and more are planned for 2025. Each event offers a new, up-close look into how DOCSIS 4.0 equipment is maturing. Operators are busy evaluating and testing the different components that will need to be upgraded for a DOCSIS 4.0 network — taps, amplifiers, RPDs, CCAP cores and modems.

The industry remains focused on implementing and deploying the DOCSIS 4.0 technology into the broadband networks. Large-scale deployment of DOCSIS 4.0 technology will bring customers into the 10G era in the near future.

So, what's next? What will the next generation of DOCSIS technology look like?

Continuing Industry Collaboration

As we shift from the speed era into the experience and adaptive eras — an evolution highlighted in CableLabs’ Technology Vision — DOCSIS technology will continue to evolve as well. The cable operator community, the vendor community and CableLabs have all been thinking and conducting research on how DOCSIS networks should move forward for the next big leap in broadband technology.

There is much work to be done to define new generations of DOCSIS technology and what it will truly look like. As always, CableLabs — which owns the DOCSIS trademark — will work closely with its members and working groups to oversee the development of future versions of the technology.

The impact to the outside plant and the physical characteristics of the coax are important considerations. The technology development work will include analysis and decisions on the spectrum range we ultimately target (for example, 3 GHz or 6 GHz or 7 GHz), where the upstream/downstream/full duplex regions will be, as well as what the underlying physical layer technology (fidelity requirements, channel sizes, FEC, etc.) and what the potential MAC layer technology improvements are going to be.

It’s an exciting time to be in the connectivity business! CableLabs looks forward to collaborating with the ecosystem on future developments for DOCSIS technology.

Follow the CableLabs blog to stay up to date on these developments and our Interop·Labs events.

If you’ve ever spent any time online, you’ve probably uttered some variation of this: “What’s happening with my internet!?” Whether or not you’re technically proficient, your first step toward fixing your network problem is always the same: Shout your frustration into the void.

If you’re a networking professional, you might then open Wireshark and manually search for the culprit — and maybe even find a solution. However, if you don’t have a networking background, you’ll probably have to call customer support and schedule a technician to come over and solve the problem. But that route can be expensive and time-consuming. Is there a reliable way to fix networking problems that pop up while also avoiding the cost of customer support, all while providing a great experience for the user?

The Response From the Void

The solution to this hair-pulling is a CableLabs prototype called NetLLM — your home networking assistant. Powered by a large language model (LLM) that lives on your home router, NetLLM looks at your network activity and any other relevant information (e.g., configuration files, records of past incidents, network metrics such as signal strength and channel noise). Then, it explains the problem in greater detail and attempts to fix it.

Your entire interaction with this automated network assistant could be a one-off response, or it could develop into a conversation in which you and NetLLM discuss the problem and try to address it — all in plain English.

If the issue cannot be resolved, NetLLM will at least add some transparency to the errors and make them less cryptic by explaining them in less technical terms (“Ohhhh, that’s what a DNS error is”). You can also choose to record the interaction so that you can send that information to customer support when you call in, thus providing the important context about the network conditions that caused the problem and what steps have been taken already.

Networking as a Language

The key to NetLLM is that it treats network communication as its own language.

Like any other language, each networking protocol has its own system of syntax and semantics. However, unlike the syntax of human languages, networking syntax is much more structured; the packets themselves and the packet sequences are organized in a very specific way that provides semantic meaning. Thinking of computer communication as a language is the key to using an LLM to decipher problems in a network — just as an LLM can be used to explain and interpret a conversation between humans.

It’s important to note that the real power of NetLLM isn’t the chat interface it uses to converse with users but rather the network LLM it uses for the problem diagnosis itself. The training will be performed with a curated dataset of question-and-answer pairs about network traffic from a wide variety of sources, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, various network attacks and regular traffic.

Network Configuration and Management

In addition to being trained to recognize and understand network traffic, NetLLM has also been trained to manage and configure a network. For a home user, network management entails updating network settings to fix user issues (e.g., manipulating firewalls, resetting DNS, remedying jittery video calls). So, if any of the problems found in the diagnostic step are the result of configuration issues, NetLLM will attempt to fix those.

A user can also request a network configuration change such as changing a password or creating a guest network in simple English without needing to pull up the router’s configuration user interface (UI).

Future Development

Where do we go from here? In addition to being a reactive tool that a user can utilize manually to seek network assistance, the goal is for NetLLM to be a proactive feature and run as a daemon in the background, monitoring your network both for optimizations and security threats.

This is the ultimate in customer service: solving problems before the customer is even aware of them!

Your IT Buddy

This automated network assistant has the potential to be a one-stop shop for everything happening in your home network and the wider internet, all while protecting you from potential problems. With its diagnosis, configuration, and management capabilities, NetLLM gives you full insight into your network and allows for easy configuration — all in understandable English.

Even if you are a networking professional and have the skills to fix problems on your own, NetLLM can save you time. From advanced features such as setting up firewalls and fixing problematic video calls, to more everyday functionality such as managing passwords and monitoring your network, this CableLabs tool makes network troubleshooting and management as easy as asking a very talented IT friend for help.

Fixed wireless access (FWA) is a mature access technology that could provide cost-effective solutions for both mobile network operators (MNOs) and multiple system operators (MSOs). It enables MNOs to provide fixed cable-like services and MSOs to increase speed and capacity while extending HFC services beyond their current footprints.

CableLabs recently analyzed how key propagation parameters impact FWA performance. Our findings indicate that while FWA propagation can be challenging, it is scenario dependent. Factors such as user throughput targets, antenna design/selection and MIMO channel capacity can play significant roles. The analysis also highlights some opportunities for operators to mitigate the propagation challenges.

We detailed these findings in two new SCTE papers: “Fixed Wireless Access Propagation Challenges” and “Experimental FWA MIMO Capacity Analysis in 6 and 37 GHz Bands.” We explored our insights further during our session at SCTE TechExpo24, which is now available to watch on-demand.

Together, these publications, along with related papers, analyze the FWA propagation-related challenges for North American residential and indoor office environments and summarize our latest research on FWA.

Our investigation was based on experimental results provided by four extensive indoor and outdoor-to-indoor (O2I) test campaigns, followed by a thorough data analysis and statistical model development.

Customer premises equipment (CPE) in a FWA network can use either an outdoor or an indoor antenna. While the outdoor antenna offers better technical performance, the indoor option is more cost-effective due to minimal installation costs.

Fixed Wireless Access Testing

When using 5G support, the FWA performance is augmented by the associated large channel bandwidth (ChBW), e.g., up to 100MHz for sub 7GHz spectra and up to 400MHz for millimeter (mmWave, 24 - 52 GHz), accordingly increasing user throughput.

CableLabs analyzed the propagation impact upon FWA performance in both indoor and outdoor-to-indoor (O2I) scenarios in the 6 GHz and 37 GHz bands. The studies are grouped into two categories:

• Single-input multiple-output (SIMO) propagation challenges (path loss, O2I loss, power delay and angular profiles, delay and angular spread, angle of arrival, synthetic beamwidth, Small-scale fading Rician K-factor)
• Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel capacity gain

To evaluate the FWA network performance and impact from the propagation channel, multiple test campaigns were designed to characterize the path loss, building entry loss (BEL), large-scale fading (e.g., shadowing), small-scale fading impact (e.g., changing the receiver position by a few lambdas). We selected the test environments accordingly:

• An indoor office environment (CableLabs’ main office in Louisville, Colorado -- 2nd floor), providing 172 links (86 for each 6 and 37GHz band)
• O2I residential environment (the CableLabs Test House in Brighton, Colorado), providing 216 links (108 for each 6 and 37GHz band), in LOS, NLOS, deep NLOS and through vegetation (trees) propagation

The test setup was based on a virtual circular array (VCA), featuring the equivalent of 1,000 antenna elements. For each antenna position on the VCA, measurements included the channel transfer functions (CTFs), channel impulse responses (CIRs), path loss, etc. Using such a VCA avoided a need to re-align the CPE antenna for each measurement and the small-scale fading impact.

Propagation Impairments

Our indoor and O2I measurement results support a direct comparison of the propagation impact upon the indoor and O2I FWA indoor performance for the 6 and 37 GHz cases.

A high-level comparison of the measured FWA O2I path losses indicates that there is a 15-20 dB link budget penalty when 37 GHz links are used vs. similar 6 GHz links for the same type of environment. The 37 GHz O2I penalty is partially compensated by the reduced number of multipath components (MPCs), caused by the rapid Rx power decay of the 37 GHz MPC in the O2I and indoor FWA environments. Intuitively, the latter suggests that 37 GHz FWA O2I/indoor links could provide a better performance (SNR/User Throughput) vs. sub 7GHz bands if the related link budget penalty could be compensated.

MIMO Channel Capacity Gain

The MIMO channel capacity gain represents the ratio of the MIMO vs. SISO channel capacity. The MIMO channel capacity gain is identical to the MIMO user throughput gain (the ratio of the MIMO user throughput vs. SISO user throughput). For a MIMO 2×2 link, the ideal MIMO capacity gain/user throughput is equal to two. Our findings indicate that the MIMO capacity gain and the MIMO user throughput gain is degraded due to the propagation in a FWA scenario.

Our SCTE paper and presentation provide more details on the causes of the MIMO user throughput gain being higher in NLOS than LOS conditions and on MIMO user throughput gain impacted by antenna separation distance and orientation, etc.

Future Opportunities

Despite the propagation-related challenges — particularly in North American residential and indoor office environments — FWA O2I presents a viable solution for operators seeking to expand their service footprint. To learn more, download the SCTE papers, “Fixed Wireless Access Propagation Challenges” and “Experimental FWA MIMO Capacity Analysis in 6 and 37 GHz Bands,” and watch our TechExpo presentation.

Subject matter experts, innovators and thought leaders from CableLabs, SCTE and the industry at large came together last month for the Americas’ largest broadband event. From inspiring headliners and insightful interviews to hands-on demonstrations and an exposition full of solutions, SCTE TechExpo 2024 provided an in-depth look at the innovations that are shaping the future of broadband.

It was a lot to take in! But the learning opportunities didn’t stop there. Now, many of those track keynotes and sessions are available to anyone to view anytime, anywhere. Whether you want to revisit your favorite sessions or discover the ones you missed, you now have access to exclusive on-demand content from the action-packed event in Atlanta.

TechExpo24 On-Demand Content

Explore recorded sessions by topic — everything from strategy to sustainability — or catch up quickly with highlights from each day of TechExpo. And, in case you missed them, here’s a short recap of just a handful of the sessions our experts participated in.

Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence (AI) featured heavily in many sessions, with speakers discussing its impact on broadband networks. It’s obvious that AI will be critical to industry advancements, and operators are already beginning to find low-risk, low-cost ways to integrate AI into their network operations. Tools are emerging to speed the development of both enterprise- and industry-specific AI platforms. Catch up on how AI can be leveraged to build more secure networks in the session Driving a Proactive Approach to AI-Powered Security.

Technology Policy: Hear more about AI and get an update on its policy implications in A Year After the Artificial Intelligence Executive Order: Current Status & What’s Ahead. In the session, government experts outline federal priorities and the industry-relevant requirements of the Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence.

Wireless & Convergence: In Seamless Connectivity: Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere, learn about the key considerations and how the industry can overcome challenges to achieve seamless connectivity. Then explore how fixed wireless access can meet the ever-increasing demand for network capacity and deliver broadband wireless services more effectively in Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)… But Were Afraid to Ask!

Wireline: Operators and vendors are demonstrating their ability to deliver or their interest in delivering 25 Gbps capabilities through DOCSIS®️ technology on the HFC plant. In Practical Strategies for Deploying FTTH, hear an analysis of modern passive optical networking (PON) technologies in the evolutionary path of HFC networks.

Network as a Service: Learn how operators can grow new revenues with Network as a Service (NaaS) and Quality by Design (QbD), which leverages standardized APIs to facilitate communication between applications and the network. Tune in to the recording of the API-Powered NaaS session to hear more.

Security: CableLabs gave an overview of its Zero Trust and Infrastructure Security (ØTIS) Best Common Practices (BCP) document, which was released at TechExpo, and discussed the critical role of zero trust in networks. The BCP serves as a guideline for cable operators and vendors as they implement zero trust concepts and support network convergence and automation. This session wasn’t recorded, but you can learn more and download the document here.

Business Strategy: In a recording from Growth & Transformation—Lessons from the Video Game Industry, level up your understanding of what the broadband industry can learn from the gaming industry when it comes to competitive differentiation, launching products and entering new markets.

Explore more exciting on-demand video content and continue your learning journey well after TechExpo24 — at your convenience. We’ll see you next year at TechExpo25, Sept. 29- Oct. 1, in Washington, D.C.!

CableLabs Winter Conference 2025

For more opportunities to share insights and discover the technology advancements transforming the industry, join us at CableLabs Winter Conference in March 2025 in Orlando, Florida.

This exclusive gathering provides a neutral meeting ground for CableLabs member operators and our vendor community to exchange knowledge and build meaningful connections. Members can register now, and a limited number of exhibitor tables are still available.