Cable Broadband Equipment Market Up 14% in 1Q15

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As MSOs continued major upgrades to their broadband networks, cable DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) channel shipments grew to 1.8 million in the first quarter of 2015 (1Q15), a 14 percent sequential increase, and a gain of 48 percent from the year-ago first quarter, according to the  IHS Infonetics CCAP, CMTS, and Edge QAM Hardware report from IHS. 

"The cable broadband market got off to a mixed start in the first quarter. Despite the first quarter typically being a slow one, DOCSIS channels increased yet again. But revenue was down due to a combination of aggressive pricing and a higher proportion of software licenses," said Jeff Heynen, research director for broadband access and pay TV at IHS.

Report highlights:

• CCAP, CMTS, CMC and edge QAM revenue fell 7 percent sequentially in 1Q15, to $474 million
• The now-dead merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable was expected to dampen the key North American region in Q1, but despite the headwinds, the overall cable broadband market remained healthy, setting the stage for a strong 2015
• To date, very few cable operators have deployed video QAM channels on their CCAP-capable platforms, tamping the long-term outlook for these channels
• ARRIS dominated the cable broadband market again in 1Q15, supported in part by the early availability of its E6000 CCAP-capable product