Get ready for DOCSIS 3

Get ready for Docsis 3? Around these parts cable modem speeds don't even push v1.1 standards let alone enter the realm of v2.

I envy the ones who'll be enjoying v3 speeds.

well more speed more money

As they say in auto racing, "Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?"

DOCSIS 1.1 and 2.0 are capable of up to 38.8 Mbps downstream using 256 QAM. DOCSIS 3 will have wider bandwidth by multiplexing downstream signals.

You're getting bits and bytes confused. Just about every telecom spec I've ever seen refers to bits/s, not bytes. Also, the speeds refered are typically the "wire speed," so typically your throughput will not be the same as what is advertised (due to things like frame headers and checksums).

The big advantage of DOCSIS 3 is channel bonding (that will allow for much more bandwidth. This is good for the cable operator, so that they can get more modems on a port, not necessarly to increase speeds to the home. That is still a good thing for consumers, because theoretically the operator won't have to segment nodes to maintain throughput, keeping upgrade costs low.

However, since there are no DOCSIS 3 modems or related equipement yet, this will cause a big hassle since everyone will need to upgrade hardware (this is a complex change to a specification and a firmware upgrade isn't possible). Comcast, for example, still uses DOCSIS 1.1 modems because they have a huge installed userbase that they would have to deal with. In other words, don't hold your breath, and don't expect a wholesale change.

Eric

I'll envy anyone who has fiber to the curb.

Doesn't do you much good until they increase your bandwidth allowance.