Policy
Wi-Fi Spectrum: 6 GHz Use Is Surging and Headed Toward Exhaustion

Key Points
- A new Wi-Fi network use analysis from CableLabs shows that current unlicensed spectrum won’t be able to keep pace with the demands of increasingly more connected devices over the next five years.
- Exhaustion of the 6 GHz band is nearing as the growing number of Wi-Fi devices and applications strain current unlicensed spectrum.
- If not addressed, the strain on unlicensed spectrum will significantly degrade Wi-Fi performance for consumers in high-density environments.
- Policymakers should act now to ensure Wi-Fi connectivity for all Americans.
As U.S. and global policy makers debate the future of spectrum policy, CableLabs is releasing initial results of our Wi-Fi network use analysis, which further confirms the critical need to keep the current unlicensed spectrum resources and add more soon.
Reallocating 6 GHz Spectrum Would Decimate Wi-Fi Connectivity
The Simulation in Action
Figure 1: Latency heatmap (in five years) — 90th percentile latency, showing the units that have greater than 10 milliseconds in one-way Wi-Fi latency and the amount of latency for at least one device in those units. Figure 2: Packet loss heatmap (in five years) — showing the units that have greater than 2 percent packet loss and the packet loss for at least one device in those units.Fiber
Driving Alignment: New Progress Toward XGS-PON Equipment Interoperability
Key Points
- A recent CableLabs PON Interop·Labs event brought together OLT and ONU suppliers to test device interoperability and exercise the requirements of the Cable OpenOMCI specification.
- Testing helps equipment manufacturers ensure interoperability among their devices — key to building a healthy, collaborative ecosystem.
With more and more CableLabs member operators deploying or preparing to deploy ITU-T-based passive optical networking (PON) technologies such as XGS-PON, interoperability of equipment from different vendors is more important than ever. One well-known source for the lack of cross-vendor interoperability of XGS-PON equipment stems from differing implementations of the ONU Management Control Interface (OMCI) — primarily specified by ITU-T Recommendation G.988.
Supplier Participation in the XGS-PON Interop
The XGS-PON OMCI Test Cases
New Issues Bring New Fixes
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Innovation
Preparing the Industry for the Next Era of Broadband Innovation
Key Points
- CableLabs helps shape the future of connectivity and advance the technologies that will define it by empowering the people who make it possible.
- Together with SCTE, our member operators and other industry stakeholders, we can build stronger foundations for tomorrow’s networks by investing in collaboration, community and continuous innovation.
The broadband industry is only as strong as the people who power it.
Collaborating to Solve the Industry’s Toughest Challenges
Connecting Industry Leaders
Preparing the Future Workforce
Looking Ahead
Wireless
CableLabs and Industry Leaders Unite to Advance Open AFC Solution
Key Points
- In collaboration with industry partners, CableLabs is helping continue the development of the Open Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) solution.
- The open-source AFC solution supports Standard Power operation for unlicensed devices in the 6GHz band.
CableLabs is proud to partner with Broadcom, Cisco, the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) and the Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA) to offer an open-source version of the Open Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) solution.
What Is the Open AFC Project?
DOCSIS
CableLabs Certifies First DOCSIS 3.1+ Device with Four OFDM Channels
Key Points
- The certification of the first DOCSIS® 3.1+ device enables significantly increased network capacity without the need for plant upgrades while signaling the growing momentum toward full DOCSIS 4.0 technology deployments.
- This achievement is the latest step in the evolution of CableLabs' DOCSIS technology, further underscoring the adaptability of DOCSIS technology and the importance of certification in maintaining an interoperable ecosystem.
CableLabs is pleased to announce the certification of the industry’s first DOCSIS 3.1 Plus (DOCSIS 3.1+) device supporting four orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) channels. The certified device, developed by Vantiva, represents a key milestone in advancing broadband performance and capacity for cable operators worldwide.
Why Certification Is Critical
Continuing the March Forward
Strategy
CableLabs’ Connectivity as a Service: Simpler, Smarter and Always On
Key Points
- Connectivity as a Service (CaaS), a new service concept in the works from CableLabs, takes the guesswork — and hassle — out of network connectivity for internet service subscribers at home and on the go.
- Because they either own and operate their own mobile networks or leverage mobile virtual network operator relationships, some broadband operators are uniquely positioned to offer CaaS.
For most consumers, staying connected to the services they rely on every day likely requires subscriptions to two separate services: a broadband service at home and another for their mobile phone when they’re away from home.
Connectivity That’s On — Whenever, Wherever
A Differentiated Service for Happier Users
Network as a Service
Open-Source Network APIs Advance With Latest CAMARA Meta-Release
Key Points
- A new release from the Linux Foundation’s CAMARA project includes 38 APIs, further helping bridge the gap between network operators and application developers.
- CableLabs contributions fall within our ongoing work to develop Network as a Service, a standardized solution for connecting applications to network services.
Last year, we shared how CableLabs is transforming networks through open-source API solutions as part of our work in the CAMARA project. Today, we’re excited to highlight the progress made in CAMARA’s newly published spring 2025 meta-release. The new release includes significant updates across CAMARA’s expanding suite of open network APIs — and spotlights CableLabs’ continued contributions to this global effort.
What's New in CAMARA's Spring 2025 Meta-Release?
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Technology Vision
How Broadband Service Innovation Can Change the Game for Operators
Key Points
- An integrated network environment will enable broadband operators to deliver seamless, higher-quality connectivity, ultimately enhancing customer experiences and service differentiation.
- Through collaboration with other industry stakeholders, operators can accelerate innovation and deploy new services more effectively, allowing them to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving broadband landscape while mitigating risk.
The future of connectivity will be built on networks that deliver seamless customer experiences. To differentiate themselves in the broadband market, operators must embrace relentless innovation and adaptive service models centered on network evolution, monetization strategies and enhanced user experiences.
Partnering for Progress in Next-Gen Connectivity
Fixed Network Evolution: Weighing the Benefits of PON
Advanced Optics: A Path Toward Coherent PON
Fixed-Mobile Convergence: Leveraging the HFC Network
Security and Privacy: Leveraging Security as a Competitive Advantage
Next Steps for Investment in Service Innovation
Accelerating Service Differentiation Through Collaborative Innovation
Strategy
The LEO Satellite Revolution: Five Considerations for Terrestrial CSPs
Key Points
- LEO broadband will continue to expand and play a central role in communications, ushering in a new era of “coopetition” between satellite operators and terrestrial communications service providers.
- CableLabs has just released a new members-only strategy brief analyzing and projecting Starlink’s capacity for broadband service, finding that the company could become a significant competitor in home broadband markets worldwide.
- Terrestrial home broadband operators should closely monitor the competitive threat from LEO broadband while also recognizing that the technology can complement terrestrial connectivity and play a key role in service innovation.
Connectivity is experiencing a revolution. Low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband has moved with lightning speed from a futuristic concept to reality, and it’s rapidly becoming a cornerstone of modern connectivity.
Competitive Threat
Truly Seamless Converged Low-Latency Connectivity
“Coopetitive” Ecosystem Building and Coordination
Transactional Connectivity and Capacity Trading
Edge Computing
How CableLabs Can Help
Wireless
Unlocking the Power of Seamless Connectivity
Key Points
- Seamless connectivity has become of paramount importance for operators that own hybrid network infrastructures and offer varied service offerings.
- CableLabs’ Seamless Connectivity working group is focused on validating and understanding the gravity of the problem by simulating real-world scenarios in a lab environment.
- The working group is now investigating solutions that could address the seamless connectivity issues. We showcased one potential solution, ATSSS, as a demo at last week’s CableLabs Winter Conference.
Seamless connectivity is increasingly becoming an integral part of the connectivity service offerings of multiple system operators (MSOs). MSOs with their hybrid network infrastructure and varied service offerings may supplement their connectivity offerings with other wireless operators — for example, mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) agreements with mobile network operators (MNOs) — in addition to leveraging their own infrastructure. Depending on the infrastructure they own, MSOs may have to contend with disparate sets of wireless infrastructures.