Comcast is rolling out low-latency DOCSIS and extolling the benefits of low-latency internet for consumers
Is the industry finally getting somewhere with marketing and monetizing the low-latency aspect of advanced networks? Maybe, if you look at Comcast. As Comcast rolls out a new DOCSIS-based network that implements the Internet Engineering Task Force’s (IETF) Low Latency Low Loss Scalable Throughput (L4S) open standards, the cable company is specifically calling out the lower latency as a differentiator for its Xfinity Internet services.
Comcast says that through the use of this “low latency DOCSIS,” or LLD, the latency of its Xfinity Internet “will be dramatically reduced to faster than the blink of an eye” and called out specific technologies where consumers can expect to have a better experience: When using FaceTime on Apple smartphones, tablets, computer and TVs; when using apps on Meta’s mixed reality headsets that support L4s; NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW gaming service and “many games on Valve’s Steam games platform”.
“Our connectivity is the key to unlocking a world of entertainment, sports, news and information and we’re constantly pushing the limits of network innovation to create an experience that exceeds the expanding demands of our customers,” said Emily Waldorf, SVP of Consumer Products, Comcast Connectivity and Platforms. “Modern applications are real-time and interactive and require more than just fast speeds. Xfinity Internet’s lower lag times will be a differentiator for Comcast.”
Notably, a Comcast press release also compared L4S favorably to 5G-based broadband services, saying that over its L4S DOCSIS network, “Latency-sensitive applications will experience less delay, and a smoother, more responsive end-to-end online experience compared to other options like 5G home Internet, where the network gets bogged down and the connection deteriorates when a lot of people are online.”
As Comcast explained in a blog post, the L4S standards specify how network links can implement a new data packet processing function for latency-sensitive traffic in order to achieve ultra-low latency. App developers mark their traffic as latency-sensitive in order for that traffic to be managed appropriately. Comcast says that the application marking “is entirely voluntary and available for use with no special cost, agreement, or proprietary APIs”. There also needs to be device-level support, and Comcast named a number of Apple products as well as its Xfinity 10G Gateway (XB7 and XB8 models) or the Arris S33 or Netgear CM1000v2 internet gateways as having supported its DOCSIS trials with L4S.
Comcast said that its initial rollout of DOCSIS with L4S includes Atlanta, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Philadelphia, Rockville (Maryland) and San Francisco, with deployments in more locations coming “rapidly over the next few months.” When fully deployed, Comcast said that the low-latency service will be available to all of its Xfinity Internet customers.
In other test news:
–Rohde & Schwarz announced its new ScopeStudio software, which enables enables the import of oscilloscope waveforms or entire sessions from the company’s MXO oscilloscope series and mirrors the instruments’ analysis and measurement capabilities on a PC. R&S says there are three advantages here: leaving the instrument available for someone else to use, being able to use other PC-based tools to document designs with better images and annotations, and easier sharing of technical results across development teams.
The test company also said this week that it plans to hold its two-day Demystifying EMC 2025 virtual conference, focused on testing and demonstrations related to electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), on February 11 and 12. More details available here.
-ICYMI: It looks like a potential mega-merger of testing and certification labs isn’t going to pan out. Both SGS and Bureau Veritas confirmed this week that merger talks between the two companies, which could have resulted in a $30+ billion combined testing and certification company, have ended with no deal.
Interestingly, though, Bureau Veritas—which has made a number of smaller acquisitions in the past few months and has been clear that active M&A is part of its growth strategy— indicated in its company statement that the talks ended without an agreement “despite a strong belief in the value of consolidation in the Testing, Inspection and Certification sector.” We’ll have to see if that means a different merger target will emerge.
–Keysight Technologies had a number of announcements this week, including a partnership with semiconductor company KD to create comprehensive physical layer testing for multi-gigabit optical automotive Ethernet; a new design and test solution for memory systems; and the signing of its first virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA). The VPPA with Southern Power will match the entirety of Keysight’s U.S. and Canadian power usage with renewable energy produced in Texas. The renewable power expansion project is expected to come online in Keysight’s fiscal year 2027.
-A new report from BCC Research estimates that the market for IoT testing services will reach $10.4 billion by 2029, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of more than 22% on a global basis. The firm said that the market growth is being driven by adoption of automated testing tools, more IoT testing-as-a-service and demand for 5G-related IoT testing.
–Spirent Communications finished out 2024 with a “strong uptick of order growth” compared to the same time in 2023, the company said in a trading update. While Spirent said that market conditions are still challenging, it added that it is seeing “early signs of market recovery,” with order growth in the second half of 2024 at 5%, which mitigated a weak first half of the year. Full-year orders, accordingly, reached “comparable” levels to 2023, the company added. Read more details in this piece.
-Test conglomerate Fortive announced this week that Sharmistha “Shar” Dubey will succeed Alan G. Spoon as chair of the board. Spoon plans to retire, and will not be up for reelection at the company’s annual general meeting in June 2025.
Spoon has served as chair of the Fortive board of directors since the company was spun off from Danaher in 2016, and said that it was “the right time to elevate new leadership to guide the company in its next exciting chapter.”
He added: :Shar has extensive strategic, operational, and executive leadership experience as well as deep knowledge of Fortive, which will serve the Board, the company, and our shareholders well. I have the utmost faith in her ability to continue to steward innovation and success at Fortive.”
Dubey has served as a director on the Fortive board since 2020. She is a previous CEO of Match Group and held numerous leadership roles with that company from 2006-2022.
–Teledyne Storm Microwave, which provides high-performance flexible and semi-rigid RF/microwave cables and cable assemblies, has a new, global franchise agreement with Richardson RFPD, which is part of Arrow Electronics, to distribute Teledyne Storm Microwave’s products.
