The early DOCSIS versions-DOCSIS 1.0, 1.1, and 2.0-had a basic two-channel design with one channel dedicated to the download and one to the upload. Before the CableLabs initiative and the adoption of DOCSIS standards, cable modems used by cable providers were not interoperable. It's a standard created by the non-profit cable research consortium CableLabs in the 1990s to help unify the then-very-fragmented early cable internet service provider market. What Is DOCSIS?ĭOCSIS stands for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification. If you're curious when you'll have faster cable internet thanks to DOCSIS 4.0-and when you'll need to upgrade your cable modem-here's what to expect and when. Do you have a cable modem? It's using DOCSIS.