If you read last week’s Part 1 in our DOCSIS series and the white paper on the Evolution of DOCSIS, you now have a better understanding of why we have specifications, what those specifications can do for the cable operator’s business and what the newest spec, DOCSIS 3.1, has in store.

This week in Part 2, we’ll take a look at another set of requirements in the 3.1 spec, written around Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM).

Proactive Network Maintenance is justifiably of major importance for the cable industry. Operators have been hearing more and more about PNM tools and how they can find impairments before they impact subscribers. Now with the new DOCSIS 3.1 specifications rolling out, PNM has moved from something obscure to a technology that is changing the industry.

The changes in DOCSIS 3.1 specifications have made all the Proactive Network Maintenance functionality a requirement for new equipment being manufactured. So for the first time, all new devices, in order to be DOCSIS certified, must support PNM functions correctly. This constitutes an important step for cable operators. Those of you who are not already looking at PNM as a better way to maintain the cable plant might want to take a closer look. The technology, which already gained some traction with DOCSIS 3.0, will change the way you perform plant maintenance.

Some larger MSOs are already experiencing amazing results with this technology. Finding problems quickly with PNM technology will result in lowered maintenance costs for the cable operator and better cable video and high-speed data service for subscribers.

The PNM technology was developed by InGeNeOs = Intelligent Generation-Next Operational Systems working group of Cablelabs.  With DOCSIS 3.1, PNM is built into the spec, which means new types of data we can leverage for diagnostics purposes, and more granular data than we are able to get from DOCSIS 3.0 and earlier devices. 

To get the full story on the PNM changes in DOCSIS 3.1, be sure and read the white paper DOCSIS 3.1 and The PNM Toolbox:The Future of Cable Plant Maintenance is Here.