[Speed] CableLabs: Low latency is the next big (cable) thing

Gigabit Schmigabit – low broadband latency is what’s going to be the next big thing (especially for gamers): Is Faster Always Better? CableLabs Effort Focuses On Reducing Broadband Latency By Jeff Baumgartner, Multichannel News – August 6, 2014 http://www.multichannel.com/blog/bauminator/faster-always-better/383005 quote:... But perhaps there’s too much of a focus on raw speeds and the focus on megabits and gigabits. An initiative underway at CableLabs is lavishing some attention on milliseconds. CableLabs is exploring the implementation of Active Queue Management (AQM), a technology that’s designed to reduce latency, buffering and packet loss – elements that can improve the overall performance of DOCSIS-delivered broadband services. Posting big speeds will always provide grist for the marketing people, but CableLabs believes that an additional focus on latency can juice up the performance of broadband-fueled multiplayer gaming, video conferencing, video streaming and even the simple task of loading Web pages. The implementation of AQM “could have a dramatic impact on the user experience,” Dan Rice, CableLabs’ senior vice president of network technologies, said in a recent interview CableLabs has amended DOCSIS 3.0 with a recommendation that AQM be added to existing gear, via a firmware upgrade if possible, and has mandated AQM in DOCSIS 3.1 equipment — both at the cable modem and at the cable modem termination system. ... CableLabs has also posted a more thorough explanation of its exploration of AQM here: http://www.cablelabs.com/how-docsis-3-1-reduces-latency-with-active-queue-management/