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ORLANDO, CABLELABS WINTER CONFERENCE, February 9, 2016 - Following successful lab trials with a DOCSIS 3.1-powered cable modem, Midco is preparing for field trials of its Midco Gig Internet service in Fargo, North Dakota, in March. The company is also announcing that the second metro area – Sioux Falls, South Dakota – will be ready for Midco gigabit Internet speeds by the end of 2016.

Midco has committed to delivering gigabit to its entire service area by the end of 2017. The company serves more than 330,000 customers in nearly 350 communities across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Last year, Midco announced that it deployed the Cisco® cBR-8 converged broadband router to increase network capacity for DOCSIS 3.1 broadband and to accelerate the growth of its cable broadband network.

What is DOCSIS 3.1?

• It is the industry specification that enables high-bandwidth Internet services to be delivered over existing cable TV infrastructure.
• It lays the groundwork for a new generation of cable services that meet consumer demands for faster broadband connections.
• With this new network technology in place, Midco business and residential customers can enjoy all the latest Internet-powered video, voice and data services with gigabit speeds, requiring only a DOCSIS 3.1 modem and a wireless gateway.
• Gateway versions of DOCSIS 3.1 modems with integrated Wi-Fi and other features will be available to customers later in the year.

“Speed matters to our customers, and we have made it a priority to reshape our network to deliver the fastest, most reliable Internet service possible,” said Jon Pederson, Chief Technology Officer at Midco. “Cisco shares our vision for a fully scalable, efficient network that will take us into the future and manage the bandwidth demands of our increasingly connected lives.”

“Midco has been full speed ahead with its plans to deliver a DOCSIS 3.1-ready network,” said Kelly Ahuja, senior vice president, Service Provider business, products and solutions, Cisco. “Through our collaboration, Midco customers will be among the first in the country to enjoy the fastest Internet connection available, unleashing a host of new experiences that can help make their lives better.”