Plans to Upgrade StarHub’s Cable Broadband Network toEnable 50-100Mbps Download Speeds in the Works
Singapore, 17 June 2005 - In the future, Singapore residential broadband users may be able to experience truly high broadband download speeds of up to 50-100Mbps!
This could be the result of an enhanced strategic partnership between StarHub, Singapore’s integrated info-communications provider, and Motorola (NYSE:MOT), a global communications leader, as both companies look into upgrading StarHub’s cable broadband network to DOCSIS® 3.0. DOCSIS® 3.0 is an open standard that will allow cable operators to optimise their high-speed data distribution over cable more efficiently. Currently, StarHub’s cable broadband network is DOCSIS® 1.1 compatible, with Motorola as the current technology partner.
“StarHub has led the broadband market in Singapore by providing high download capabilities of up to 25Mbps through MaxOnline Ultimate nationwide. Now we are looking towards moving the broadband bar even higher as we continue to provide the latest technologies to residential broadband users in Singapore,” said Mr Thomas Ee, Senior Vice President of Online Services, StarHub. “This enhanced strategic partnership means that StarHub will be one of the first in the world to work with Motorola to deliver DOCSIS® 3.0 on a nationwide basis, enabling more advanced services and applications to be rolled out consequently.”
“Weare proud to say that StarHub is one of the first working with Motorola on our DOCSIS 3.0® implementation and will be able to provide even faster speeds in the future and offer other multimedia applications to subscribers,” said Mr Charles Dougherty, Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Motorola Internet Protocol Solutions. “This will be a showcase of Motorola’s suite of next-generation IP solutions for the cable industry, right here in Singapore.”
The current industry trend for cable broadband is to have DOCSIS® 3.0-compatible equipment available in 2006. In line with this, StarHub and Motorola are preparing the way for Singapore residential broadband users to experience this multiple leap in broadband speeds across the island quickly and simultaneously once the global wideband cable market is ready.
"StarHub's unique cable network offers us the opportunity to bring the advantages of higher broadband speeds to practically all residential homes with just a very short equipment upgrade process and without the need for additional roadworks to inconvenience Singaporeans," commented Mr Ee.
Motorola is a global leader in the development of DOCSIS® equipment and is a major contributor to the channel-bonding specifications which are part of the DOCSIS® 3.0 standard in development by CableLabs®. CableLabs® is a non-profit research and development consortium (and the standards body for DOCSIS®) that is dedicated to pursuing new cable telecommunications technologies and to helping cable operator members integrate those technical advancements into their business objectives.
StarHub’s MaxOnline service allows subscribers to enjoy always-on, unlimited broadband access to the Internet at high download speeds of up to 2Mbps, 6.5Mbps and 25Mbps. As of 31 March 2005, StarHub has 232,000 MaxOnline subscribers.
For more information on MaxOnline, please visit www.starhub.com.
