SAN JOSE, Calif., June 5, 2018 – SKBroadband, a leading cable operator in Korea (CEO: Lee Hyunghee) announced that it has succeeded in implementing DOCSIS 3.1 broadband technology to enhance its cable infrastructure to offer high-quality video, high-speed data and OTT services.

DOCSIS 3.1 is the next-generation hybrid fiber coax (HFC) standard that improves  frequency efficiency and greatly increases cable network capacity to support demand for more Internet video and the growth of connected devices.

SKBroadband successfully rolled out the world’s first DOCSIS 3.1 downstream and upstream pilot service in the Anyang area in Gyeonggi Province and the Gwangju area in Jeollanam Provincein November 2017. Using the Cisco^®cBR-8 converged broadband router, SKBroadband hit a record speed of 4 Gigabits per second (Gbps) in downstream and 1Gbps in upstream.

The company expects to roll out a large-scale service deployment in the second half of 2018.

The Cisco cBR-8 is designed from the ground up for DOCSIS 3.1, featuring support for future advanced technologies like Full Duplex DOCSIS (FDX), Infinite DOCSIS and SDN-based orchestration.

With this advanced cable technology, SKBroadband will be able to provide high-quality services such as Ultra HD, augmented reality and virtual reality, while laying the infrastructure foundation for the forthcoming IoT era.

“By securing an HFC four Gbps transmission solution, we can provide sufficient bandwidth and stable 1 Gig service to our HFC subscribers,” said Jichang Yu, Vice president of SKBroadband Infrastructure Division. “We will continue to provide our customers with the highest value.”

“With this technology in place, SKBroadband can deliver services at ultra-high speeds to meet its growing customer needs,” said Sean Welch, VP and general manager of the Cisco Cable Access Business Unit. “The cBR-8 Converged Broadband Router not only addresses today’s bandwidth needs, but also establishes a foundation for continued network evolution to Remote PHY and distributed access networks, Full Duplex DOCSIS and cloud native technologies.”

SKBroadband plans to further expand the bandwidth of its HFC coaxial cable network to ten Gbps downstream and five Gbps upstream by introducing more leading-edge DOCSIS technology in the future.

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