CommScope scored another win for its Remote MACPHY platform, adding Mediacom to the list of operators planning to use it for their distributed access architecture rollouts. Mediacom, the sixth largest cable operator in the U.S., joins Alaskan operator GCI and Europe’s Liberty Global in choosing the vendor.
Mediacom is set to use CommScope’s RD2322 RxD devices operating in Remote MACPHY mode within the vendor’s OM4120 Optical Nodes. As it rolls out the new nodes, Mediacom will be upgrading from 1 GHz of spectrum to 1.2 GHz. Asked if this means Mediacom plans to pursue full duplex (FDX) DOCSIS 4.0 rather than the extended spectrum (ESD) variant, an operator representative told Fierce the planned shift “is more about timing and equipment availability than a specific commitment to FDX vs ESD. Both are possible later on.”
The representative added the operator’s first upgrade project will begin turning up new nodes “in the next few weeks.” Completion of that initial project is expected in Q2 2023, with upgrade timelines for additional markets yet to be determined. Mediacom is planning to debut some new service tiers following the upgrades, but the representative said it is still working out timing and product specifications.
Mediacom’s selection of CommScope as its DAA isn’t necessarily surprising, given the pair teamed on a DAA field trial back in 2020. However, its choice of Remote MACPHY over Remote PHY is interesting given a trend in the industry toward the latter technology.
Dell’Oro Group VP Jeff Heynen recently observed adoption of Remote MACPHY lags that of Remote PHY. In fact, just this week rumors surfaced that Charter Communications might be reconsidering its interest in Remote MACPHY in favor of deploying Remote PHY instead.
Heynen told Fierce by phone that Charter’s move could cause others to shift their stance as well. But that said, he argued it’s not likely Remote MACPHY will go away entirely. That’s because it’s still quite useful for certain kinds of deployments.
“There will be Remote MACPHY that’s used in instances like MDU deployments, where makes more sense to have that MAC processing closer to a larger number of subscribers,” he explained.
For Mediacom specifically “it probably has a role to play potentially in where they’ve got some rural buildouts and some networks where the fiber spans are extremely long and they’re concerned about latency,” he continued. “That’s still a reason why operators prefer Remote MACPHY, because they’ve got all the processing localized and it simplifies the CIN network and the transport.”
Indeed, the Mediacom representative told Fierce Remote MACPHY devices “will be less complicated to deploy and better suited to the greater fiber transport distances common in our lower-density markets.”
The deal with Mediacom is CommScope’s third over the past year. It previously struck deals with GCI and Liberty Global. U.S. operator WideOpenWest (WOW!) has also deployed Remote MACPHY, but selected Nokia as its partner back in the late 2010s.