SAN JOSE, Calif., February 23, 2005 - Cisco Systems and Himawari Network, Inc. today announced they have begun trials of Wideband Protocol for DOCSISTM, a new technology able to deliver up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) broadband speeds to consumers and businesses over existing hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks. The trial, being conducted at the Toyota Dream Home at Aichi prefecture in Japan, will showcase the ability to converge video, data traffic onto a single IP-based high-speed service offering, providing cable operators increased service flexibility and lowering deployment and operational costs.
"Wideband technology will expand the business opportunities for cable operators and accelerate the acceptance of home networking by enabling an IP-based entertainment and communication solution," said Hironobu Okumura, president of Himawari Network. "This will drive market demand and our ability to deliver advanced services such as High Definition Television (HDTV), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), video on demand and on-line gaming."
The Wideband Protocol for DOCSIS was pioneered by Cisco, and augments HFC network bandwidth by adding one of more additional downstreams to the standard broadband DOCSIS system. This new set of downstream channels is grouped into one larger channel, and is known as a Wideband channel.
The Himawari Wideband trial is based on Cisco's uBR10012 Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) platform, enabling customers to utilize existing investments to improve time-to-market and drive profitability. Since Wideband Protocol for DOCSIS is compatible with existing DOCSIS 1.x and 2.0 specifications, Himawari will be able to use the technology in parallel with existing modem deployments to provide a migration path to additional high speed service offerings. As part of the trial, Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems, Inc., will provide the Wideband cable modem which can receive and process data streams transmitted by the CMTS on multiple radio frequency channels.
The trial was launched by Himawari Network in December and provides the foundation for an expanded program over the next year as the technology matures and subscriber demand grows.
"We are honored to be working with Himawari on this project, said Pankaj Patel, vice president of the Cisco Broadband and Edge Midrange Routing Business Unit, "Himawari Network is one of the most forward-thinking cable operators in the world and this trial is evidence of their commitment to industry leadership and service excellence."
