Cisco is planning a new generation Docsis 3.0 cable modem, providing maximum bandwidth of 320 Mbps in the downlink and 120 Mbps in the uplink, according to Multichannel News citing Cisco cable solutions marketing manager Ben Bekele. The new DPC3212 modem will use channel bonding of eight channels down, each delivering 40 Mbps over 6 MHz of spectrum. The modem is set to be presented to CableLabs for certification by spring this year and may hit the mass market by mid 2010. The current generation of Docsis 3.0 modems uses channel bonding of four channels, thus delivering download speeds of up to 160 Mbps. Theoretically, maximum download speeds are 200 Mbps using four channels (according to Texas Instruments), 400 Mbps when using eight channels (according to Broadcom) and CableLabs claims Docsis 3.0 capabilities will eventually be stretched to multiple Gbps.
