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Jim Barthold
3Com Corp. has become the first cable modem vendor to receive Network Inc.'s Level II approval for both its Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS)-compliant cable modem termination system (CMTS) and its subscriber modems.
"Achieving Level II approval, for any vendor, particularly 3Com as the only one to have the backend and consumer modem pass through ... is very meaningful," said William Markey, 3Com's cable access business director.
Markey said the approval is particularly meaningful for 's MSO affiliates "who now know our equipment has this approval and they can begin to deploy at will. Moreover, for 3Com it is a recognition of systems' readiness and the ability to support widescale commercial deployments."
spokesman Matt Wolfrom strongly emphasized that this approval process does not infringe on CableLabs' DOCSIS standards process and agreed that 3Com is in a unique position with the high-speed data provider.
"It's actually a very important distinction for us because we're not CableLabs," he pointed out. "CableLabs does the certification."
Level II approval means that has found a vendors' products appropriate for its systems and affiliates to use. Cisco Systems Inc. also has CMTS and cable modem approval, but does not offer a consumer modem.
"There are other modem manufacturers who will be making an announcement shortly on the approval they received from us," Wolfrom promised.
The approval boosts initial product retail deployment, although that will be cemented with the first DOCSIS-certified interoperable products.
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