SAN JOSE, Calif. -- March 12, 1998 -- Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced that the Cisco uBR7246 universal broadband router is the industry's first integrated cable modem termination system (CMTS) and router to support the Multimedia Cable Network System (MCNS) standard and interoperate with multiple vendors' cable modems.
With multivendor support, Cisco's integrated digital platform assures cable operators of a choice of cable modem product offerings and competitive pricing for their customers.
A Cable Industry Focus
In addition to its own internally developed cable modem, Cisco tested the uBR7246 with cable modems using different modem central processing units (CPUs), operating systems, chipsets and development environments. MCNS-compliant cable modems from Samsung, Broadcom and Toshiba successfully interoperated on a single Cisco uBR7246 headend system using a single pair of upstream and downstream frequencies.
"Achieving vendor interoperability among CMTS and cable modems is a milestone," said Bob Cruickshank, director of digital network technologies at CableLabs in Louisville, Colorado. "Two years of hard work has resulted in fulfillment of the MCNS vision for industry-wide standards compliance. We're gratified that Cisco's commitment to industry standards has helped us achieve this industry breakthrough."
"The level of interoperability successfully achieved between our independent projects represents a significant advance for the industry," said Carson Chen, director of engineering for cable products at Cisco. "At the same time, it demonstrates Cisco's commitment to open standards and interoperability for our products."
Parallel Development Verifies Robust MCNS Compliance
Cable modems participating in the CableLabs Data over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) Interoperability Testing were developed in parallel by different teams sharing the MCNS/DOCSIS protocol definition. Cisco's CMTS design provides the highest level of MCNS compliance as illustrated by interoperability with Samsung's cable modems which utilize single vendor chipsets as well as Toshiba's cable modems which use dual vendor chipsets-physical (PHY) and media access control (MAC) chipsets.
In addition, successful interoperability was achieved between Cisco Systems' universal headend and cable modems from Samsung and Broadcom. Multivendor interoperability encourages market diversity, enabling cable modem vendors to bring a range of product offerings to market. Competitive pricing will allow cable operators to offer high-quality, compatible cable modem solutions to their customers while maintaining service profitability.
"Interoperability is key to the long-term success of the cable market," said Chen. "Cisco's response to the challenge ultimately enables cable operators, equipment vendors and partners to benefit, moving the industry beyond proprietary systems for the first time, enabling operators to turn bandwidth into gold."
Based on the industry-leading Cisco 7200 series router and incorporating Cisco IOS software, the standards-based Cisco uBR7246 is the industry's first production-ready MCNS-compliant integrated router and cable modem shelf. The Cisco uBR7246 provides cable operators with benefits over existing bridging solutions, including increased network security, bandwidth efficiency and centralized management and control. Using the Cisco uBR7246, cable providers will be able to offer new, differentiated services including high-speed Internet access, streaming video, secure data services and virtual private networks (VPNs), thereby increasing their profitability. The chassis can be populated with multiple types of interchangeable modem cards, enabling cable operators to deploy subscriber modems without concern for compatibility or future technology shifts.
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