One of the biggest objections consumer advocates have against usage metering is that it may be inaccurate. Score one for cable, then. In Comcast systems using the Cisco 10000 CMTS, metering accuracy is good within 0.5 percent, according to NetForecast.
NetForecast said it performed “an extensive battery of tests and studies” of Comcast’s metering system over the course of seven months and determined that Comcast’s gauge worked better than Comcast wanted; the MSO’s goal for its metering system was accuracy to +/- 1 percent.
The CMTS meters the data flow, NetForecast explains, and reports usage levels for every cable modem in Internet Protocol Detail Records (IPDRs). IPDRs are gathered from the CMTS by an active resource manager (ARM) system, in Comcast’s case supplied by Active Broadband Networks. Ultimately, subscribers can get access to that data so they can monitor their own data usage.
When there are errors, NetForecast reports, they’re more likely to be in the customer’s favor.
The full report can currently be accessed from the “What’s News” section on NetForecast’s Web site.
