Globally, wireline cable operators are relieving bandwidth constraints by splitting nodes, going all digital, channel bonding and developing the DOCSIS 3.1 (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) standard.
The upcoming DOCSIS 3.1 will boost capacity to 10Gbps downstream/2Gbps upstream (from ~300Mbps/~15Mbps currently with DOCSIS 3.0). Cable's architecture is inherently superior to copper and remains an efficient way to deliver broadband. DOCSIS 3.1 is 50% more efficient than DOCSIS 3.0 due to the use of Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology that can pack small subcarriers into wide blocks of bandwidth and utilize higher levers of modulation. In addition, the technology will be backwards-compatible, according to CableLabs. In the interim, operators will be able to offer 1Gbps-like download speeds in competitive markets by bonding 24 channels.
In the long term FTTh has the advantage of scalability and does not suffer from the shared capacity risks of CATV, especially in Europe, where at peak times speeds can slow on CATV as more customers stream and browse. In the interim FTTc reduces the gap and at over
50Mbits speed is largely irrelevant, as there is no differentiation in service levels.
