Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

lol, 'that once your outlay for the base MASH kit'was infact ment to say '...MESH kit has been payed'.

as i said above regarding the current ETA for any ARRIS docsis3 EUE, now looks like at least 'Jan 24 to mid-April', so its going to be longer than that before its geared up for mass manufactoring assuming its at the end and passes the Bronze tests OC....

http://www.multichannel.com/article/...dustryid=47202

"
Arris Intros 'Wideband' Voice Modems
DOCSIS 3.0 Modems Still Need CableLabs Certification
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 1/9/2008 10:24:00 AM

Arris announced the availability of modems that support Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification 3.0, but the equipment has yet to be certified by CableLabs.

The Touchstone TM702 embedded multimedia terminal adapter provides voice features and data service with speeds up to 160 Megabits per second, using the channel-bonding features of the DOCSIS 3.0 spec, also known as wideband.

Arris also offers a family of DOCSIS 3.0 data-only cable modems, the WBM750, the successor to the pre-DOCSIS 3.0 WBM650 family.

Last month, Arris's DOCSIS 3.0 cable-modem termination system was awarded "bronze" qualification status by CableLabs, meaning it supports downstream-channel bonding, in the first wave of wideband gear submitted for testing.

The 3.0 modem submitted by Arris, however, did not pass the certification testing. CableLabs' next certification wave runs from Jan. 24 to mid-April.

Arris is providing sample units of the DOCSIS 3.0 modems to "lead customers" for trials and testing, while it proceeds through the next round of CableLabs certification, spokesman Alex Swan said.

...
"

i wonder if that 'next certification wave ' will include silver certification, not that silver (bonded upload channels) really matters if VM dont see fit to massively increase upload rates way above even the hints in this very thread (kippa), as there wont be a vital need for it other than the already mentioned updated security and the QOS part of Multicast etc.

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

the threads been very quiet for a few days, so i thought i'd post this Docsis 3.0, CMTS pricing related news item from a few weeks ago.

BTW, what is the majority of current CMTS kit that VM use, and are their units half empty and so able to take these new higher density cards as this URLs seem to imply?.

at the very least , will this Plummeting price drop help VM buy more kit to install and releave the over subscribed Baguley/NW+ areas and kit...

http://www.lightreading.com/document...&page_number=1
"CMTS Downstream Prices Plummethttps://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2008/09/22.gifDECEMBER 28, 2007
Timing is everything.

Just as cable operators prepare to test and launch Internet services with speedier downstream capabilities, the top three providers of cable modem termination system (CMTS) gear -- Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO - message board), Arris Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ARRS - message board), and Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT - message board) -- have developed, or are in the process of developing, new downstream-heavy modules that snap into their widely deployed CMTS chassis. Along with denser downstream footprints, these new cards are also having a profound effect on CMTS pricing.


CMTS downstream port prices are "dropping like a rock," says Patti Reali, an analyst with Gartner Inc. In the early going, much of that trend, she notes, is being driven by Cisco and its development of a special module/linecard. That card, dubbed the Shared Port Adapter (SPA), fits into Cisco's flagship CMTS, the uBR10012.

But the story doesn't start and end with Cisco. Although the CMTS market leader can already point to trials and deployments for its downstream-heavy module, Motorola is gathering steam with its entry, the TX32. Meanwhile, Arris, which is making a run at increased CMTS market share, tells Cable Digital News that it has a new, specialized CMTS card in the making.

While the minimum configuration for Docsis 3.0 calls for the bonding of at least four upstream and four downstream channels, most operators are expected to begin their migration to 3.0-based services by bonding downstream channels.
...
"
....
"
Cisco goes to the SPA
Although Cisco has different types of SPA products based on a common footprint, the one that matters in the case of denser downstream capabilities and channel bonding is its Wideband SPA.

One Wideband SPA can support 24 downstreams. That compares to five downstreams (and 20 upstreams) in a traditional Cisco CMTS linecard.
..."

" Motorola's TX32
Unlike Cisco, Motorola did not supply a CMTS for the first Docsis 3.0 test wave, but, like its CMTS competitor, the company is making progress with a new module for its flagship CMTS, the BSR64000, that aims to beef up the downstream and shrink costs on a per-port basis.

Introduced in June, the company' TX32, as the name implies, supports 32 downstreams. That compares to just two downstreams (and eight upstreams) in a traditional linecard for the BSR64000.

Much of the tech development behind the TX32 can be traced to Motorola's acquisition in early 2006 of Broadband Innovations, a startup that made high-density, low-power Docsis 3.0-compliant upconverters. (See Moto Deals Downstream Module and Moto Buys RF Tech.)
..."

"As designed, the TX32 removes the upstream, and uses block upconversion techniques to cram 32 downstreams in the same space as its typical 2x8 linecard.

In the block upconversion scenario, operators will be required to free up a contiguous slice of spectrum. This means that channels used for downstream bonding must be physically next to each other along the spectrum.

Although this could be considered a drawback because operators don't necessarily have that much free spectrum bunched together, the saving grace is that Docsis 3.0 modems can tune above the 860 MHz threshold. Those devices, therefore, could use 6 MHz channels that are produced from an upgrade to 1 GHz or more. (See Cox Makes 1 GHz Moves .)
..."

"Arris getting down with denser downstreams
Arris, meanwhile, is answering the call with a higher-density card that packs in 16 downstreams. That card, which hasn't yet been announced formally, is in the "early trail stages," according to Stan Brovant, Arris's senior vice president of business development and marketing.

Arris has not pinpointed a commercial launch date for the new linecard, but the module was an "ingredient" of the CMTS the vendor supplied to CableLabs for the recently completed Docsis 3.0 Wave, Brovant says.

Brovant declined to assign a specific dollar amount to the effect the new card will have on downstream port pricing, other than to say it would be "substantially cheaper" than what's offered by the legacy cards found in the C4 CMTS, which are configured for 12 upstreams and two downstreams.

Those cards can be repurposed as upstream receivers for the emerging modular CMTS (M-CMTS) architecture.

"The installed base is very important. We want to make sure the C4 is upgradeable to Docsis 3.0," Brovant says.

"The interest in higher density and channel bonding is worldwide," he adds. While Verizon's new symmetrical 20 Mbit/s has gained the attention of U.S.-based operators, MSOs abroad are trying to match the speeds offered by networks fed by both fiber-to-the-home and VDSL technologies. (See Verizon Offers 20 Mbit/s Uploads.)

On the pre-Docsis 3.0 channel bonding front, Arris has scored some early wins with Virgin Media (Nasdaq: VMED - message board) and Japan-based Jupiter Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (J:COM) . (See Arris, NTL Try 100 Mbit/s and Japanese MSO Moves 160 Mbit/s.)
...
"
The path to the M-CMTS
Despite the early traction expected from this new breed of downstream-heavy modules for legacy CMTS chassis, their development marks just a step along the path toward a more advanced M-CMTS architecture.

Under that scenario, several components of the traditional CMTS -- including downstream and upstream -- will be separated out so they can be scaled independently and, as the theory goes, more cost-effectively.

While the "core" CMTS will handle the upstream, a new breed of edge QAM devices will supply the downstream capacity. Those "universal" edge QAMs are also being designed so they can share capacity and resources with other applications, including digital broadcast video, video-on-demand (VOD), and switched digital video (SDV). (See Universal Edge QAM Market Heats Up.)

"Operators are taking a pretty sophisticated approach and identifying which architecture makes the most sense," Brovant says. Arris customers that have underutilized C4 CMTSs have been among those most interested in the company's new 16-downstream linecard, he adds.
...
"

and heres a url for your basic Arris Edge-QAMs
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6463304.html
"
...
As part of its switched-digital-video initiative, Comcast selected Arris as a supplier of equipment that can dynamically allocate bandwidth for multiple unicast applications.
The value of the deal was not disclosed. The Arris products covered under the contract are known as universal edge-Quadrature-Amplitude-Modulation (edge-QAM) systems.
Such universal edge-QAMs can provide bandwidth for multiple services, including switched digital video and video-on-demand, whereas traditional QAMs require channels to be dedicated exclusively to one service, like VOD.
...
"
"
http://messages.yahoo.com/Business_%...frt=2&off=1#-1
"Re: CMTS prices 13-Jan-08 10:11 am
More to the pricing story than falling prices. EdgeQAM unit sales will more than make up for the price drop in CMTS chassis. Remember that Arris also shipped allot of chassis that were only 50% full and that leaves the door open for the higher margin cards to be sold into the installed base in 2008. D3 CMTS software upgrades will also aid in the revenue numbers come Q3. I'm thinking that D3 Touchstones will begin to be seeded in the field come Q2

http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp...

While the "core" CMTS will handle the upstream, a new breed of edge QAM devices will supply the downstream capacity. Those "universal" edge QAMs are also being designed so they can share capacity and resources with other applications, including digital broadcast video, video-on-demand (VOD), and switched digital video (SDV)

"

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

This is hilarious. Some people can't lie to save there own life. *sigh*

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

?, what do you mean lie... what lie or lies are these?.

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

Given that Virgin Media intend to upgrade the network to provide a 50Mb service, do we know more precisely when work will start and do we know which areas of the network will be upgraded first?

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

They're still in testing so no fixed dates have been set. I would think that the newer sections of network would be done first as it is less likely to go wrong. Thats how they usually do it.

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

Thanks for that, lostandconfused. Looks like those of us in Manchester will have to wait.It'll be interesting to see what happens.

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

Don't know if your referring to a specific area of work but the network is being constantly upgraded to meet demand as and when certain criteria is reached. You may not believe this but that is what happens.

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

good point sollp, did they ever get around to finishing the old April 2nd 2007 announcement yet?, will it now take the 100Gig kit too..., if they see fit to order that as well!

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/10...e-network.html
"
Quote:
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Juniper Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:JNPR) today announced that the Virgin Media Group, the UK’s largest cable operator, has deployed Juniper Networks T-series core routers, including the multi-terabit TX Matrix, to upgrade its IP backbone network.

As a central component of the Virgin Media next-generation IP network architecture, the T-series will enable the delivery of bandwidth-intensive multiplay services such as IPTV, video on demand and voice over IP.

The agile and open core network will also facilitate and simplify the integration of many new customers and network assets, which are joining Virgin Media as the result of the merger between ntl, Virgin Mobile and Telewest Global in 2006.

More at:
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/...86&newsLang=en
"
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/s...86&newsLang=en
"
...
Virgin Media provides high quality digital TV, Internet and telephone services to nearly 3 million subscribers throughout the UK.

In addition to supporting all of its own broadband customers, Virgin Media also leases capacity on its core network to several of the UK’s leading ISPs, so the Juniper Networks T-series will be supporting an expansive network capable of delivering Internet-based communications services to more than 12 million UK homes (more than 50 percent of the total households in the UK), and 85 percent of UK businesses.

“Service reliability, throughput speed and scalable capacity are the main criteria that will enable a successful roll-out of next-generation network services in both the immediate future and in the long term,” said Rob Sim, Head of Network Architecture at Virgin Media. “We wanted to put support for 40G in place now, and both the T640 and TX Matrix platforms from Juniper enable us to support 40G as soon as needed.

Also, as the capacity demands on our network grow, we can easily upgrade the T640 to TX Matrix as required, whilst maintaining both operational and service consistency without an operating system change.”
...
"

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

Don't know about that, but will see if i can find out.

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

:Sprint::clap:

good man....

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

solp, did you ever find out about the above upgrades BTW?.

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/3...s-service.html
"
Virgin Media to relax traffic management on 50Mbps service?

Thursday 20 March 2008 15:51:45 by Andrew Ferguson

The Xbox may have lost out in the high definition storage media battle, but its Xbox Live Marketplace to some extent negates this as people can download HD TV shows and movies direct to the Xbox via Xbox Live Marketplace.

tech.co.uk has been talking to Virgin Media and Microsoft about HD movie downloads on the Xbox, and the estimate is that a HD movie will take just 15 minutes to download on the 50Mbps cable broadband service when it rolls-out.

This fits in nicely with a 50Mbps connection running flat out for the 15 minutes and the rough size of the HD content on Xbox Live Marketplace which is 5GB for the average film.

So how does this suggest Virgin Media are to change their traffic management rules, well the current ....
"

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

No sorry completely forgot that one!! Trouble is there is all sorts of routers ect the core network use so i might not get the answer specific to this, i will ask around though.

The UBR's are mainly CISCO, and i think there will be upgrades for 50Mb as i was speaking to someone last week about it, can't remember what manufacturer will be used for the new kit, again this will probably be in specific locations due to space ect.

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

http://www.virginmedia.com/customers...-broadband.php just for anyone who hasnt seen it.

Re: Virgin Media announces 50mb lines from next year.
 

Whats the point of 50 megs when they can't supply the 20 meg i'm paying for at the min. Seems like that 4 meg is the norm with Virgin media these days