Cisco Systems reportedly announced it has partnered with Cox Communications to deploy the Cox (News - Alert) Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) 3.0 based "Ultimate Internet" service with up to 50 megabits per second downstream to its customers in Rhode Island.

"Today's announcement shows that Cox continues to make landmark steps to boost available bandwidth and effectively deliver next generation IP services," said Surya Panditi, vice president and general manager of the Optical Technology and Cable Modem Termination System Business Unit, Cisco (News - Alert), in a statement.

Company officials said the association between the two companies goes some time. The two firms have been working together to develop and finely tune the Cox broadband network to an Internet Protocol Next Generation, which is conceived to maximize delivery of more social, interactive and personalized experiences.

Cisco said that Cox, which has more than 6 million residential customers, has earlier in 2009 deployed this high end service offering with the Cisco DOCSIS 3.0 technologies to customers in Lafayette Parish in Louisiana, Northern Virginia’s Fairfax County and Fredericksburg, and Palos Verdes in California. The joint venture is also offering its New England business customers a new Premium Internet DOCSIS 3.0 technology package with enhanced support for corporate e-mail, online research and Web based business applications.

"DOCSIS 3.0 offers multiple advantages to cable operators, including the ability to increase residential high-speed Internet revenue, save on operational cost, improve management capabilities, and future-proof their network to deliver premium quality Internet, phone and video services," Panditi said.

Cisco said that its end to end Cisco DOCSIS 3.0 product portfolio includes backward compatibility with DOCSIS 2.0, 1.1, or 1.0, Cisco channel bonded cable modems and provides additional downstream bandwidth to existing DOCSIS 1.x, 2.0 subs at a substantially reduced cost per bit.

Officials said that Cox’s Ultimate Internet package deal delivers faster online access music and movie downloads, file transfers, video streaming, interactive live action gaming and other high demand services and customers get a possible extra burst of speed via PowerBoost technology.

Collaborative efforts, such as this one between Cisco and Cox, are in keeping with one of the seven mantras of the time, which dictates that organizations must make serious efforts to reach out and work with each other. The seven guidelines for succeeding in current economic environment are collectively called the CES (News - Alert) 7 and were pronounced and initiated at the Consumer Electronics Show.

"With the explosion of video traffic and social networking applications on the networks, speed and reliability are critical factors to keeping our customers happy," said Seth Hogan, vice president of data product management at Cox Communications, in a statement. "Cisco's IP expertise has helped us continuously strengthen and broaden our network to offer faster-than-ever Internet speeds, getting us closer to our goal of launching Ultimate Internet to more than two thirds of our footprint by the end of 2010."