6. Who buys a Cable Modem?

Basically Cable Modems are for ordinary people, just like analog modems and ISDN. Two different models exist for the actual buy/sell situations. In both cases the CATV operator sells the Cable Modem access subscription, and takes the role as Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Model 1

The 1st model is what we see now. The Cable Modem vendor normally provides both CMTS and Cable Modem for the system integrator (here called CATV vendor, but this could even be a division of the cable operator). The system integrator provides a complete Cable Modem system to the cable operator. This might include the necessary return channel amplifiers etc. The subscriber leases (or buys) the Cable Modem from the CATV operator, much like the model normally used for set-top boxes.

Model 2

The 2nd model is the ideal model from many viewpoints, but can not be implemented before the Cable Modem standards are firm enough to guarantee Cable Modems from various vendors to work smoothly together on the same Cable Modem system. The difference here is that the subscriber buys the Cable Modem in a computer store as he would buy any other modem. The CATV operator only provides the Cable Modem service.

Cable modems for sale in the retail stores is actually a reality now, in some areas of the US (start of 1999). That simply proves that it can be done, but from what I can tell, the lease-model (model 1) is still by far the most common approach.

CM Vendors

For DOCSIS modems, the following is an (probably soon incomplete) list of vendors with actual DOCSIS certified products (accurate august 1999):

• Toshiba
• Thomson Consumer Electronics
• 3Com
• General Instrument
• Arris Interactive
• Askey Computer Corp. (partnering with Cisco for the reference design)
• Cisco Systems
• Philips Electronics (partnering with Cisco for the reference design)
• Samsung Information Systems of America (partnering with Cisco for the reference design)
• Sony Corp (partnering with Cisco for the reference design)

Other companies are known to have un-certified cable modems and/or cable modems that are either proprietary or conforming to other standards like DVB/DAVIC (very incomplete list, august 1999):

• COM21 (Proprietary ATM based system. Also a shipping, but un-certified DOCSIS cable modem).
• Zenith (Proprietary system)
• LanCity/Bay Network (Proprietary system)
• NetGame (Proprietary system, working on DOCSIS system also)
• COCOM (DVB-RCC/DAVIC based system)
• DeltaKabel (Proprietary system. Also a EuroDOCSIS based system).

Gallery

A picture gallery with most of the DOCSIS certified modems along with various other information is available.

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