CableLabs (News - Alert), a non-profit research and development consortium for pursuing new cable telecom technologies, has released an updated technical report to establish a set of consensus needs for a new device that facilitates the evolution to converged access network architecture.

The new device is called the Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP). The new device is expected to integrate the functions of broadcast and narrowcast quadrature amplitude modulators (QAMs), as well as DOCSIS 3.0 downstream and upstream interfaces.

The Converged Cable Access Platform includes the option to support passive optical network (PON) termination equipment in the same chassis.

CableLabs is also looking at new specifications that will include new configuration and management technology important for service reliability and operational efficiency that enrich the customer experience.

Through flexible provisioning of traditional video QAMs to DOCSIS QAMS, the CCAP will enable the efficient transition from traditional video transport to IP transport of managed video services.

“This blending of our two approaches will help create an industry-wide approach for access technology platforms,” said Tony Werner, CTO, Comcast (News - Alert) Cable, in a statement. “We are engaged in this CableLabs process and are actively contributing to its efforts on CCAP.”

This technical report and the architecture enabled by the CCAP represent the consensus requirements from Comcast, Cox, Time Warner (News - Alert) Cable and other CableLabs members. The CCAP Architecture Technical Report represents a consolidation of the core interface requirements previously referred to as CMAP and CESAR.

“We are pleased with the industry consensus for the next generation of access platform,” said Mike LaJoie (News - Alert), CTO at Time Warner Cable. “This platform will provide the economic scale for the industry to provide new high bandwidth services.”

Recently, as many as eleven suppliers assembled at an interoperability lab event held at CableLabs to demonstrate the latest SCTE-130 and SaFI 2.1 advanced advertising specifications.

Participants at the interop included: Ad-ID LLC, Arris, Avail TVN, Canoe Ventures LLC, Ericsson, Harris Corporation, The Nielsen Company, Sigma Systems (News - Alert), S&T, This Technology LLC and Unisoft.