Motorola Receives CableLabsÆ CertificationT on Its DM 100 and PL 100 Cable Modems
Motorola Inc. (NYSE: MOT) Broadband Communications Sector announced that Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. (CableLabsÆ) has certified two additional Motorola DOCSIS modems - the Motorola cable modem DM 100 and the PL 100 multi-user cable modem. The PL 100 certification marks the first CableLabsÆ CertifiedT home-networking modem. The DM 100 and PL 100 also become the third and fourth Motorola cable modems to receive CableLabsÆ CertificationT. CableLabs certified the Motorola SURFboard SB2100 cable modem in May 1999 and Motorola's DOCSIS 1.1- based SB3100 in December 1999. CableLabs Certification means that the DM 100 and PL 100 modems have completed an extensive series of interoperability tests. It also recognizes the modems' compliance with Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) 1.0-based headends and operation support systems (OSS) equipment. ""CableLabs is very pleased to certify Motorola's latest DOCSIS cable modems - the DM 100 and the PL 100, our first home-networking modem. We value Motorola's commitment to our interoperable cable modem initiative and look forward to working with them on developing a new interoperable network that will help to drive industry-wide cable modem deployment,"" said Dr. Richard R. Green, CableLabs President and CEO. ""Motorola is pleased to have obtained two additional DOCSIS 1.0 certifications from CableLabs and the DOCSIS certification board. And we're proud to be delivering the industry's first CableLabs Certified home- networking modem - the Motorola PL 100,"" said Dan Moloney, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Motorola's IP Network Systems business unit. ""These important certifications further validate our ongoing commitment to developing high-performance broadband equipment for the cable industry."" About the DM 100 The Motorola cable modem DM 100 delivers stable and reliable transmission in addition to interoperability, based on years of refinement in hybrid fiber coax (HFC) data engineering and field- proven experience. The DM 100 receives 64/256 QAM signals from the Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) (supporting throughputs up to 40 Mbps) and transmits QPSK/16 QAM signals upstream (supporting throughputs up to 10 Mbps). With approvals from MicrosoftÆ WindowsÆHardware Qualification Labs (WHQL) and the USB Organization, the DM 100 also offers superior ease of use and plug-and-play installation. According to the industry analyst firm Kinetic Strategies, the number of North American cable modem users is predicted to grow from 1.8 million in 1999 to 15.9 million in 2003. The availability of a DOCSIS cable modem that employs a USB interface is expected to facilitate the broad-based consumer adoption of cable modems. About the PL 100 The Motorola PL 100 multi-user cable modem provides DOCSIS capability along with the ease of Internet sharing and home-area networking over ordinary telephone wire. The modem provides broadband Internet access over hybrid fiber coax (HFC) and distributes it to multiple devices in the home through Ethernet, USB, and Home Phone Networking Alliance (HomePNA) ports, which can be active simultaneously. This capability gives the user maximum flexibility in installation and set-up. Internet sharing is enabled through a Motorola-developed Network Address Translation (NAT) and DHCP server, which reside in the modem. The modem's software also delivers enhanced security with a firewall. Home area networking is enabled with HomePNA technology. The PL 100's built-in HomePNA 2.0 interface allows data to move at up to 10 million bits per second (Mbps) over ordinary household telephone wire, without interfering with normal telephone operation. HomePNA connectivity and Motorola's configuration software provide a fully functioning network. In addition to sharing Internet access and e-mail, users can share printers, scanners and other devices; exchange data files; and play interactive games.