Lightcurve believes that the end-state of its wireline broadband networks will be paved by passive optical networking (PON). But the company is giving its hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks a boost in the interim.
Washington-based Lightcurve today operates a mix of hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) and fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) networks, along with some copper/DSL networks that are being upgraded to XGS-PON. That blend, a nod to its lineage as a telephone company that traces back more than 100 years, supports a network strategy focused on delivering multi-gigabit services.
While it’s possible that Lightcurve’s HFC networks could eventually pivot to PON, the operator’s current plan is to upgrade that part of its plant to DOCSIS 3.1+.
As a potential step toward DOCSIS 4.0, DOCSIS 3.1+ is an update to D3.1 that opens up additional orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) channels and puts operators in position to deliver up to 8 Gbit/s in the downstream via HFC. DOCSIS 3.1+ networks are compatible with older DOCSIS 3.0 and D3.1 customer premises equipment (CPE), new DOCSIS 3.1+ modems and gateways, as well as fully-fledged DOCSIS 4.0 devices.
While fiber is where Lightcurve wants to be long term, the operator has begun to upgrade to DOCSIS 3.1+ as it moves ahead with a new 8-Gig down by 1 Gig upstream broadband service tier, starting in Tacoma, Lightcurve’s largest market, explained COO Pao Lo. Lo is a former Midco and Comcast exec who was a D3.1+ advocate well before he joined Lightcurve last December.
A no to DOCSIS 4.0
The operator is also upgrading nodes to support a distributed access architecture (DAA) and was one of the early adopters of Harmonic’s virtual cable modem termination system (vCMTS), which can also operate on PON networks. Lo said Lightcurve is also taking a look at ways to deliver PON-based services off the node on a targeted basis.
For now, an upgrade to full DOCSIS 4.0 is not on Lightcurve’s radar.
“At the end of the day, we want to be fiber. DOCSIS 3.1+ gives us a path there,” Lo said.
Lightcurve’s approach to HFC reinforces that operators are not all taking the same path. While Comcast is upgrading its HFC networks to DOCSIS 4.0, Spectrum is employing a multi-tiered plan that will deploy D4.0 in only a portion of its plant. Cable One, meanwhile, will try out DOCSIS 4.0, DOCSIS 3.1+ and PON upgrades in different markets in the coming months to see how they size up in terms of costs, performance and effectiveness against competitors.
But an 8×1 offering should give Lightcurve some runway against competitors including AT&T, Comcast and Spectrum, depending on the market.
Lightcurve’s network strategy is taking shape amid some recent M&A moves. The privately held company became Lightcurve in May after Palisade Infrastructure closed its acquisition in Mashell Inc., the parent company of Rainier Connect, which serves a handful of markets in Washington, including Tacoma, Eatonville, Centralia, Chehalis and Graham. Palisade acquired the Washington properties of Consolidated Communications in 2023.
