Your 16-Mbit cable connection is going to look awfully puny when a new generation of 10-Gbit cable modems enter the scene—whenever that turns out to be.
On the other hand, there’s good reason to believe that eventually you and your family will be able to simultaneously download multiple 4K streams. CableLabs, the testing and interoperability arm of the cable industry, released the DOCSIS 3.1 specifications this week, implying that its member companies will eventually support it.
Technically, the new specification allows for 10 Gbps downstream and 1 Gbps upstream, back to the provider. Additional features include Active Queue Management, a sort of quality-of-service protocol that CableLabs promises will minimize delays inside the home and help out with tasks such as online gaming.
“Based on the significant contributions from our members and technology suppliers, CableLabs has developed the technology foundation for the delivery of next generation broadband services over HFC networks,” said Dan Rice, senior vice president of access network technologies at CableLabs, in a statement.
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