SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gainspeed, the pioneer in DAA (Distributed Access Architectures) for cable, is excited to announce its planned acquisition by Nokia. Gainspeed’s Virtual CCAP (Converged Cable Access Platform) solution is a perfect complement to Nokia’s current fiber access solutions and enables Nokia to provide a complete cable access solution for MSOs (Multiple System Operators). Nokia’s well-established footprint in cable and telco networks would accelerate the acceptance and deployment of Gainspeed’s solution. Upon the closing of the prospective transaction, Gainspeed would become part of Nokia’s Fixed Networks business.
The transition from legacy video to IP video, and the associated demand for high-speed data services, is placing enormous capacity demands on cable operator networks. Major cable operators generally agree that DAA is the next-generation access solution that will enable them to transition and capitalize on the dramatic impacts the legacy video to IP video move will have on their networks.
Gainspeed’s Virtual CCAP solution is the industry’s first and only available DAA. It enables MSOs to increase the capacity and performance of their existing HFC (Hybrid Fiber Coax) infrastructure, reduce headend power and space requirements, and migrate to an all-IP network.
Virtual CCAP eliminates the physical CCAP by leveraging software defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) to distribute cable-specific functions – including DOCSIS processing and RF modulation – to the edge of the network while centralizing control and management in the data center.
Virtual CCAP would be a strategic addition to Nokia’s cable access portfolio, which includes industry-leading routing, video and PON solutions. Together, Gainspeed and Nokia would deliver the industry’s most advanced network solutions to cable operators.
Gainspeed was founded in 2012 and is privately held. It is located in Sunnyvale, California, and has approximately 70 employees. The planned transaction is expected to close in Q3 2016, subject to customary closing conditions. Gainspeed is being advised on the planned transaction by Evercore.
Supporting Quotes:
“New and innovative services in broadband are important to us and to our customers. We appreciate technology partners who make innovation one of their core values and look forward to Nokia and Gainspeed joining forces to bring new technologies and products to the industry.”
— Tony Werner, President, Technology and Product, Comcast Cable
“Gainspeed is one of the pioneers in the Remote PHY and Remote MAC-PHY architecture development. They have been committed to developing this solution for the cable industry, and I congratulate them on becoming part of Nokia. The combination of Gainspeed’s innovations and Nokia’s scale will be a positive contribution to the access solutions for our industry.”
— Balan Nair, Chief Technology Officer, Liberty Global
“Gainspeed has been a leader in the broad industry shift toward Distributed Access Architectures to handle increased bandwidth demands and support of the network transformation to all IP. We are well down the path testing and preparing for deployment of Gainspeed’s Virtual CCAP solution and have been using Nokia access products for years. We are excited to see these technology leaders coming together, and view their solutions as a key strategic component in our network evolution and delivery of gigabit services.”
— Cash Hagen, Chief Technology Officer, WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone
“Gainspeed is excited to become part of the Nokia family. The cable industry is in the midst of major changes driven by the competitive environment, consumer and business demands, and technological landscape. Together, Gainspeed and Nokia could deliver the innovation the cable industry needs to address these challenges.”
— Krish Padmanabhan, CEO, Gainspeed
“The combination of Gainspeed and Nokia would deliver a complete portfolio of cable access solutions. Nokia’s broad expertise and resources would expedite the implementation of our Virtual CCAP solution and enable us to deliver a fully integrated coax and fiber access solution to the cable industry.”
— Jeff White, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Gainspeed
About Gainspeed
Gainspeed is redefining how cable networks are built. Its software driven, all-IP distributed access architecture addresses the limitations of today’s monolithic headend and overburdened access networks. Gainspeed’s Virtual CCAP solution, distributes processing to the edge of the network and centralizes control, enabling cable operators to satisfy exponentially growing capacity requirements, accommodate the shift to IP video, rapidly deploy new residential and commercial services, and reduce CAPEX and OPEX. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Gainspeed is backed by leading investors including NEA, Andreessen Horowitz, Shasta Ventures, Juniper Networks and Technicolor. Additional information can be found at www.gainspeed.com. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
