Comcast Corp., the No. 1 cable operator, has ordered more high-speed data equipment from ARRIS to expand its cable modem service.
Comcast has ordered 50 ARRIS Cadant C4 Cable Modem Termination System chassis. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, though an ARRIS spokesman says, “It is a substantial amount.”
The systems, which are about the size of a four-drawer filing cabinet, are a primary component necessary to provide customers high-speed Internet access.
ARRIS did not reveal where Comcast plans to deploy the equipment.
The systems support DOCSIS 1.1, an industry standard that allows cable operators to allocate various speeds to Internet subscribers.
ARRIS says each C4 chassis supports up to 16 downstream and 128 upstream connections. Later this year cable operators can upgrade that capacity by purchasing software to support DOCSIS 2.0, enabling 32 downstream and 192 upstream connections, according to the Duluth, Ga.-based equipment vendor.
In the fourth quarter of 2002, Comcast selected the manufacturer’s cable systems for deployment in Royal Oak, Mich. Comcast also purchased equipment from ARRIS for its upcoming voice over IP trial in Philadelphia.
