Intel has added the latest processor in its family of cable home gateways, the Intel Puma 7 SoC. Intel's first DOCSIS 3.1 chip represents the next step toward deploying multi-gigabit cable modems based on the standard by early next year. Puma 7 is built on Intel’s latest 14nm process technology, providing compliance to evolving power regulation standards and enabling small form factor, fan-less designs. It supports the latest DOCSIS 3.1 standard ushering in a speed boost to provide multi-gigabit broadband services to subscribers. Based on a dual-core Intel Atom processor with support for Intel Virtualization Technology and the Intel Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK), Puma 7 will enable operators to leverage their investments in Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networks (SDN) to bring new services via the residential gateway.

Intel says that Puma 7 has 5x the performance of our previous generation Puma gateway at the same power envelope to provide full WiFi support, IoT, security, and other services on chip.

Consumers will probably care most that this is the third platform capable of supporting DOCSIS 3.1, the next evolutionary step in cable modems. First talked about two years ago, DOCSIS 3.1 theoretically allows 10 Gbps down and 1 Gbps upstream, although most now seem to believe that something like 4- or 5-Mbps downstream speeds are more realistic.

On Sept. 21, CableLabs—the cable industry organization—will host an interoperability session in Colorado. There, multiple cable providers and hardware suppliers will demonstrate the technology. They will presumably include Comcast and Liberty Global, which voiced its support for a similar DOCSIS 3.1 chip manufactured by Broadcom. ST Micro has also shown off its own system.