CableLabs® Issues RFI for an
Integrated DOCSIS® Access Device
for Commercial Applications

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CableLabs® has issued a request for information (RFI) for Integrated DOCSIS® Access Device (IDAD) equipment. The IDAD will enable cable operators to offer voice and data services for small business and commercial customers.

For several years, cable television operators have been transitioning from a traditional core business of entertainment programming to a position as full-service triple-play providers of video, voice, and data telecommunications services. DOCSIS cable modems and headend devices are among the fundamental elements making this transition possible. To date, the most successful and cost-effective method for providing high-speed data services is via equipment based on DOCSIS specifications.

DOCSIS equipment also serves as the basis for PacketCable™ and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. Some cable television operators are expanding telecommunications service offerings to include T1 and related services using DOCSIS-based network equipment.

By providing a common set of requirements for IDADs, CableLabs anticipates that enough scale could be provided to enable one or more vendors to offer products economically and in a timely manner. An IDAD is envisioned to be a multifunctional device, providing client interfaces ranging from traditional DS0 level FXS services to fully functional DS1 interfaces to 100 Base T.

The network interface at the customer premises is a standard RF coaxial cable that has a frequency range up to 860 MHz downstream and a return path operating in the range of 5 MHz to 42 MHz. The IDAD is similar to a Multi-Line Multimedia Terminal Adapter (ML-MTA) in that it will be PacketCable-based for voice services. It goes beyond that specification, however, to include DS1 circuit-emulation - via IP - over DOCSIS.

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