FDX/Unified DOCSIS

fmd · 2025-02-13T20:05:09+00:00

While we wait for the announcement that N+X deployment has officially begun... Unified is the new version of FDX that has downstream going all the way to 1.8 GHz (currently limited by old taps). The return still stops at 684 MHz. Comcast has presented this spectrum layout to begin with: This is sufficient to offer symmetrical 2 Gbps. When more of the legacy channels go away, higher speeds can be offered. 3.1 modems that get FDX-L (limited) firmware can use the FDX channels.

cypherstream

kmax same in Royersford PA and a lot of areas not too far from their corporate HQ of Philadelphia. Still rockin the Scientific Atlanta Gainmaker stuff Suburban Cable installed right before selling to Comcast.

CommunityMember

cypherstream but the new headend they built to drive the rebuild even as of a few years ago said time Warner cable on some of the fiber cable going up the pole out the riser and on a handhole box near it between that pole and the building.

Changing names is often (legally) complicated, and using a DBA is often chosen. I have recently seen a lot of new construction (of fiber for Verizon) with the MCI label locally (whose assets were acquired by Verizon around two decades ago).

While it is possible to change the names in all the required documents, between the local franchise authorities (often many), and the county authorities (sometimes many), and the state authorities (sometimes many if the entity exists in multiple states), and the FCC, all needing to be coordinated to avoid (even more) confusion, changing a name can be complicated and take a very long time (and I have licenses via the FCC, so have experienced first hand the legacy of legacy systems they use). It is typically easier to just create a DBA to surround the existing entity.

telcodad

telcodad The rate of DOCSIS 4.0 upgrades should start accelerating given this news:

CommScope sees ‘meaningful shipments’ of FDX tech in Q4
CommScope shipped about $50 million DOCSIS 4.0 amps (including FDX amps) in Q4 2024, and expects FDX amp shipments to hit $300 million in 2025, CEO Chuck Treadway said. FDX amps are a critical piece of Comcast’s DOCSIS 4.0 puzzle.
https://www.lightreading.com/cable-technology/commscope-sees-meaningful-shipments-of-fdx-tech-in-q4

FYI - CommScope is exploring a plan to unload its Connectivity and Cable Solutions (CCS) unit, which produces network elements such as cable headend and PON technologies and products for telcos and cable operators:

CommScope exploring sale of Connectivity and Cable Solutions unit – report
In a move that may help trim its debt load, CommScope is reportedly looking to sell its Connectivity and Cable Solutions (CCS) unit for about $10 billion. CommScope might also go more extreme and look to sell off the whole company.
By Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor, Light Reading - June 2, 2025
https://www.lightreading.com/broadband/commscope-exploring-sale-of-connectivity-and-cable-solutions-unit-report

Looking to carve down more debt, CommScope is exploring a plan to unload its Connectivity and Cable Solutions (CCS) unit for a possible price tag of $10 billion, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-23/commscope-is-considering-sale-of-broadband-arm-ccs
:
If CommScope is successful in unloading CCS, the Access Network Solutions (ANS) unit would become CommScope’s largest division. … ANS is a key supplier of amplifiers and cable modem termination systems (CMTSs) to the cable industry. CommScope’s ANS unit is also prime developer of Full Duplex (FDX) amplifiers that will play a critical role in Comcast’s DOCSIS 4.0 network upgrade program. Aided by the acquisition of Casa Systems’ cable assets, ANS is also establishing itself in the virtual CMTS market, including a recent win with Wyre, a top broadband operator in Belgium.
:
In 2023, CommScope sold its Home Networks unit, which made set-tops and broadband modems and gateways, to Vantiva. The deal allowed CommScope to get the customer premises equipment (CPE) unit off its books. However, CommScope did the deal in exchange for a 25% stake in Vantiva. ….

cypherstream

telcodad Ok I read the light reading article, and I found the bloomberg article on archive.is.

I take it that the first course of action Commscope is looking to do is sell off CCS, so that’s the most profitable arm of the company but its telco and headend stuff like raceways, odf, panels, connectors, fiber, coaxial cable.

Then the ANS arm (they are looking to keep), does the things like amps (including FDX), CMTS - ie) actives?

Am I correct?

Cable operator gear is like musical chairs. No vendor ever sits still. Theres been so many vendors consolidate, split off, and vanish over the years. This was all once Jerrold stuff if you can remember. Jerrold > GI > Motorola > Arris > Commscope. Quite a few other product lines and vendors mixed in there along the way as well. The SA stuff has gone full circle too, and then Cisco went to unload most of it.

I’m pleased to hear about successful FDX shipments. Its really a technological marvel in how far the industries come along.

MacLeech

cypherstream Jerrold stuff if you can remember. Jerrold > GI > Motorola > Arris > Commscope

Don’t forget, Google owned Motorola Home which made all the cable stuff, when it bought Motorola Mobility, and sold it to Arris 6 months later.

MacLeech

cypherstream I take it that the first course of action Commscope is looking to do is sell off CCS, so that’s the most profitable arm of the company but its telco and headend stuff like raceways, odf, panels, connectors, fiber, coaxial cable.

The CCS unit produces all commodity items, also produced by multiple other companies. It’s big sales numbers recently make it the most profitable as all the providers rebuild their hubs/headends/COs, using everything they can get, but sales will fall off as those projects complete. The providers will bid all the makers (Commscope, Amphenol, Tyco, etc.) against each other in a race to the bottom for the parts they need when the timelines aren’t so short and demand isn’t so high.

CommunityMember

MacLeech Don’t forget, Google owned Motorola Home which made all the cable stuff, when it bought Motorola Mobility, and sold it to Arris 6 months later.

Google wanted the Motorola patents to prepare for the (expected) upcoming patent wars for their android ecosystem (you sue us, we sue you, etc.). They never really wanted Motorola itself, and sold it as soon as practical (but keep the patent portfolio coverage). Arguably Google was just following the NPE playbook (they learned from others?).

cypherstream

MacLeech Yeah that was short lived. What did they learn from it? Enough to develop Google TV? Google TV never made it on the Motorola STB’s, but they were prob under powered anyway.

Pace was in there somewhere too. I have a Pace branded box on my desk right now… RNG-110.

Arris I guess gobbled up CCor who gobbled up Phillips Broadband Networks which rebranded from Magnavox. IN SECV territory some of our amps say Magnavox on them, and some say CCOR and some say Arris. Internally they are either re-manufactured 85/105 split 1 ghz mods or Arris FM-601e’s.

Then there were more obsure players way back in the say… Texscan, Sylvania Pathmaker, Vikoa, Antec, etc…

meerkathalon

We have amps here that still say Magnavox on the housing 😬

From the Reddit thread, it’s hard to get a clear picture of the current rollout. Based on the anecdotes, it seems like each region is progressing at a different pace and facing varying challenges. There doesn’t appear to be a cohesive high-level plan. That would be consistent with how the Genesis rollout has gone overall. We’ve seen some extremely rural nearby areas upgraded in late 2023 to early 2024, yet while driving through dense city areas, I still see a lot of old equipment.

cypherstream

meerkathalon Yeah this says Magnavox on the outside, but its 1 GHz Arris 85 MHz split amp inside.

This is the amp of the leg I’m on with SECV.

This is what the outside of many look like, either bronze colored or silver.

CommunityMember

MacLeech The CCS unit produces all commodity items, also produced by multiple other companies. It’s big sales numbers recently make it the most profitable as all the providers rebuild their hubs/headends/COs, using everything they can get, but sales will fall off as those projects complete. The providers will bid all the makers (Commscope, Amphenol, Tyco, etc.) against each other in a race to the bottom for the parts they need when the timelines aren’t so short and demand isn’t so high.

And that expected race to the bottom is why the $10B ask for the unit seems a bit aspirational (unless it is bought by one of the other commodity manufacturers in order to reduce competition, but then the various anti-trust reviews might have an opinion on the M&A activity).

hex0101

Ultibeam There have been some more recent replies, apparently the issue is with the OM6000 nodes, legacy to Harmonic Pebble-2 is working fine.

cypherstream

hex0101 my isp uses om6000 and the chief complaint a maintenance tech friend said to me was they are at least 60 pounds fully dressed. A real big mofo to lift up in the bucket and attach to the strand. Unwieldy in a way. Not fun to rehang after called out to a drunk driver hitting a pole at 2 AM.

CommunityMember

hex0101 There have been some more recent replies, apparently the issue is with the OM6000 nodes, legacy to Harmonic Pebble-2 is working fine.

Hm, that sort of sounds like the RD1710-X6 does not play well when running in one of the legacy compatibility modes during the various transitions/migrations/deployments. One would expect that can be addressed soon enough to not overly delay overall deployment schedules (but CommScope and Comcast will test, test, and test again, now that they are looking; I have often found other “that was unexpected” results once I started looking very closely at the test results for one fix, which resulted in more fixes to be needed). I guess we will see.

Tito79

cypherstream recently they upgraded me to mid split now I’m getting a noticed maintenance is scheduled for Thursday’s does it mean we getting fdx? Thanks

cypherstream

Tito79 there’s so many other things it could be, so don’t hold your breath.

havaloc

I know the answer is no, but wouldn’t it be easier in some ways just to roll out fiber? It seems much simpler than working on frankenplant.

Devious

havaloc I know the answer is no, but wouldn’t it be easier in some ways just to roll out fiber?

Comcast iBone is already fiber.
Do a tracert to google and you will see iBone entries in the route.

CommunityMember

havaloc I know the answer is no, but wouldn’t it be easier in some ways just to roll out fiber?

Sure. But the cost of doing so (at a constant CAPEX) means that only about 5% of the customers might see the transition per year. Are you willing to wait (on average) 10 years for any improvements, and explain to everyone else they need to wait because some others will get substantial improvements faster? Comcast’s roll outs lift all boats slower, but more get something sooner.

SpottedCat

havaloc They have been rolling out fiber. Every year the fiber gets closer to the enduser.

But as long as they have that last few hundred feet of coax already in place and it can carry the necessary bandwidth, they’re going to keep using that because replacing those drops to each house is EXPENSIVE.

When I had AT&T fiber put in, the tech spent almost five hours working on just MY connection. It’s worth it to them because I was a new customer though. It’s not worth it to Comcast to replace everyone’s coax and CPE only to preserve the status quo.

videomatic3

after having mid split for many years, i believe they have moved me to the n+0 fdx config, my house no longer shows up as a mid split area when signing up for service… so im hoping they announce some new fdx areas soon.
it used to have the 1300 mbps removed from service, but its now showing up again with no option for 2000.

Man-of-Leisure

Devious iBone

Lol, what marketing genius comes up with these names?

videomatic3

Devious

Devious Comcast iBone is already fiber.
Do a tracert to google and you will see iBone entries in the route.

this is no different than att claiming they had 100% fiber network decades ago when dsl had speeds of 1.5mbit/sec.
the end users know the difference if they know.

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