MaxLinear Advances DOCSIS 4.0 Deployment Momentum with Puma 8 Ecosystem Expansion
Early interoperability milestones and growing OEM adoption position the company to support next-generation broadband and AI-enabled network services.
MaxLinear, Inc. (Nasdaq: MXL), announced continued momentum in advancing the DOCSIS 4.0 ecosystem toward certification and real-world deployment, building on early interoperability success and expanding OEM adoption around the Puma 8 platform.
As part of the early DOCSIS 4.0 certification process at CableLabs®, MaxLinear became the first silicon vendor to achieve DOCSIS 3.1 Verified for Interoperability (VFI) using its Puma 8 reference platform. This milestone validates interoperability in today’s deployed networks as the industry progresses toward full DOCSIS 4.0 certification.
Combined with MaxLinear’s innovative AI framework, MaxAI, Puma 8 enables operators to deliver tailored broadband experiences while supporting powerful platform-level network optimisation and troubleshooting. MaxAI harnesses Puma 8’s on-chip AI acceleration to support more intelligent, AI-driven in-home experiences.
“Puma 8 is enabling the ecosystem to move from certification milestones to real deployments,” said Puneet Sethi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Network Infrastructure and Carrier, MaxLinear. “The transition to DOCSIS 4.0 will deliver higher capacity and new AI-enabled experiences. Puma 8 and MaxAI enable our service provider partners and OEM customers to accelerate DOCSIS 4.0 and DOCSIS 4.0-upgradable deployments.”
Following MaxLinear’s VFI achievement, key OEM partners have continued to build momentum. DOCSIS 4.0 eMTAs based on Puma 8 from Gemtek and Hitron have also achieved DOCSIS 3.1 VFI, with additional OEMs, including Askey, expected to follow. This expanding ecosystem ensures that operators have a diverse, scalable supply chain for high-volume deployments.
“Mediacom strives to remain at the forefront of broadband innovation, and this partnership with MaxLinear and our OEM partners creates a strong foundation for others to follow,” said JR Walden, SVP Technology and CTO of Mediacom Communications.
“Early interoperability validation is critical as the industry transitions to DOCSIS 4.0,” said Henrick Marin, General Manager of Gemtek North America. “Puma 8 provides a solid foundation for scaling next-generation cable gateways with confidence.”
With interoperability validation progressing and OEM platforms coming online, MaxLinear is now supporting early Puma 8–based deployments. This allows operators to move from lab to commercial readiness with confidence that the hardware is stable and interoperable.
“Hitron is committed to delivering broadband platforms that align with operators’ deployment timelines,” said Greg Fisher, President and CTO of Hitron Technologies Inc. “Our work with MaxLinear on Puma 8 brings interoperability and DOCSIS 4.0 readiness together in a scalable platform.”
MaxLinear continues to advance Puma 8 for next-generation gateways, including future in-home connectivity enhancements such as Wi-Fi 8 and plans to showcase its next-generation roadmap at ANGA COM 2026 in Cologne.
