Multimedia over Coax Alliance

Multimedia over Coax Alliance
AbbreviationMoCA
StatusPublished
Year started2004
First publishedFebruary 2006 (2006-02)
Latest version2.5
13 April 2016
Preview version3.0
Related standardsEthernet
DomainComputer networking
LicenseProprietary
Websitemocalliance.org Edit this at Wikidata

The Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) is an international standards consortium that publishes specifications for networking over coaxial cable. The technology was originally developed to distribute IP television in homes using existing cabling, but is now used as a general-purpose Ethernet link where it is inconvenient or undesirable to replace existing coaxial cabling with optical fiber or twisted pair cabling.

MoCA 1.0 was approved in 2006, MoCA 1.1 in April 2010, MoCA 2.0 in June 2010, and MoCA 2.5 in April 2016. The most recently released version of the standard, MoCA 3.0, supports speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s. As of 2021, this technology is not yet available in customer premises equipment.

MoCA technology has evolved through several generations. Early MoCA specifications provided networking speeds suitable for distributing multimedia content within a home, while later versions increased throughput and improved network efficiency.MoCA 2.x introduced substantially higher data rates than the earlier specifications, and MoCA 3.0 further increased the available throughput and was designed for higher-bandwidth residential networking applications.

Membership

As of 2026, the Alliance has 13 members including pay TV operators, OEMs, CE manufacturers, and IC vendors.

MoCA's board of directors consists of staff from InCoax, MaxLinear and Verizon.

Technology

Within the scope of the Internet protocol suite, MoCA is a protocol that provides the link layer. In the seven-layer OSI model, it provides definitions within the data link layer (layer 2) and the physical layer (layer 1). DLNA approved of MoCA as a layer 2 protocol. A MoCA network can contain up to 16 nodes for MoCA 1.1 and higher, with a maximum of 8 for MoCA 1.0. The network provides a shared-medium, half-duplex link between all nodes using time-division multiplexing. Within each timeslot, any pair of nodes communicates directly with each other using the highest mutually-supported version of the standard.

MoCA technology timeline

Versions

MoCA 1.0
The first version of the standard, MoCA 1.0, was ratified in 2006 and supports transmission speeds of up to 135 Mbit/s.
MoCA 1.1
MoCA 1.1 provides 175 Mbit/s net throughputs (275 Mbit/s PHY rate) and operates in the 500 to 1500 MHz frequency range.
MoCA 2.0
MoCA 2.0 offers actual throughputs (MAC rate) up to 1 Gbit/s. Operating frequency range is 500 to 1650 MHz. Packet error rate is 1 packet error in 100 million. MoCA 2.0 also offers lower power modes of sleep and standby and is backward compatible with MoCA 1.1. In March 2017, SCTE/ISBE society and MoCA consortium began creating a new "standards operational practice" (SCTE 235) to provide MoCA 2.0 with DOCSIS 3.1 interoperability. Interoperability is necessary because both MoCA 2.0 and DOCSIS 3.1 may operate in the frequency range above 1 GHz. The standard "addresses the need to prevent degradation or failure of signals due to a shared frequency range above 1 GHz".
MoCA 2.5
MoCA 2.5 (introduced 13 April 2016) offers actual data rates up to 2.5 Gbit/s, continues to be backward compatible with MoCA 2.0 and MoCA 1.1, and adds MoCA protected setup (MPS), Management Proxy, Enhanced Privacy, Network wide Beacon Power, and Bridge detection. MoCA Access is intended for multiple dwelling units (MDUs) such as hotels, resorts, hospitals, or educational facilities. It is based on the current MoCA 2.0 standard which is capable of 1 Gbit/s net throughputs, and MoCA 2.5 which is capable of 2.5 Gbit/s.
MoCA 3.0 (Next Gen)
The MoCA 3.0 (Next Gen) standard has not been released as of April 2026. However, promotional material provided by the Alliance indicates MAC throughput of up to 10Gbps and reduced latency over the MoCA 2.5 standard.

Performance profiles

MoCA 1.0 MoCA 1.1 MoCA 2.0 MoCA 2.0
bonded		 MoCA 2.1 MoCA 2.1
bonded		 MoCA 2.5 MoCA 3.0
Actual throughput (Mbit/s) 100 175 500 1000 500 1000 2500 10,000
Number of channels bonded 2 2 2 3~5 ≤4
Modulation 1024 QAM 1024 QAM 1024 QAM 1024 QAM 8192 QAM
Power save (standby and sleep) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
MoCA protected setup; MPS Yes Yes Yes
Management proxy Yes Yes Yes
Enhanced privacy Yes Yes
Network-wide beacon power Yes Yes Yes
Bridge detection Yes Yes Yes

Frequency band plan

Channel Frequency,
center (MHz)		 MoCA 1.1
channel		 MoCA 2.0
primary		 MoCA 2.0
secondary		 Beacon
channel
EE1450  Yes 
EE2475  Yes 
E1500Yes YesYes
E2525YesYes Yes
E3550YesYes Yes
E4575YesYes Yes
E5600YesYes Yes
EE3625 Yes  
EE4650  Yes 
------------------
F1675Yes  Yes
F2700YesYesYesYes
F3725YesYes Yes
F4750YesYes Yes
F5775YesYes Yes
F6800YesYes Yes
F7825YesYesYesYes
F8850Yes  Yes
------------------
A1875    
B1900    
------------------
C1925    
C2950    
C3975    
C41000    
------------------
D11150Yes  Yes
D1a1175 YesYes 
D21200YesYesYesYes
D2a1225 YesYes 
D31250YesYesYesYes
D3a1275 YesYes 
D41300YesYesYesYes
D4a1325 YesYes 
D51350YesYesYesYes
D5a1375 YesYes 
D61400YesYesYesYes
D6a1425 YesYes 
D71450YesYesYesYes
D7a1475 YesYes 
D81500YesYesYesYes
D8a1525 YesYes 
D91550 YesYesYes
D9a1575 YesYes 
D101600 YesYesYes
D10a1625 YesYes 

Notes:

  • Channel C4 is commonly used for Verizon FiOS for the "WAN" link from the ONT to the router.
  • Channels D1-D8 are commonly used for "LAN" links, between set-top boxes and the router.
  • E band channels are commonly used by DirecTV converter boxes. The DirecTV Ethernet-to-Coax Adapter (DECA) uses MoCA on this "Mid-RF" frequency band.
  • D10A 100 MHz wide means it goes up to 1675 MHz, so splitters need to be 5-1675 MHz.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Monk, Anton; Lee, Ronald; Hebron, Yoav (2013-07-12). "The Multimedia Over Coax Alliance". Proceedings of the IEEE. 101 (11): 2322–2338. doi:10.1109/JPROC.2013.2266299. ISSN 0018-9219. S2CID 2950192.
  2. 1 2 Ovadia, Shlomo (2007-09-09). "MoCA: ubiquitous multimedia networking in the home". In Jain, Raj; Dingel, Benjamin B.; Komaki, Shozo; Ovadia, Shlomo (eds.). Broadband Access Communication Technologies II. Vol. 6776. Boston, MA. pp. 67760C. doi:10.1117/12.726808. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  3. 1 2 3 "Home Networking Gets a New Performance Standard". Multimedia over Coax Alliance. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  4. ↑ O'Shea, Dan (2006-11-20). "The IPTV battle enters the home". Telephony. 247 (19). Chicago, United States: Informa: 20–21. eISSN 2161-8690. ISSN 0040-2656. ProQuest 213945879. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
  5. ↑ Zhou, Shujia; Song, Yingxiong; Lin, Rujian (2011-09-25). FTTB multimedia access solution based on MoCA technology. 2011 IEEE 13th International Conference on Communication Technology. pp. 1037–1040. doi:10.1109/ICCT.2011.6158037.
  6. ↑ Bacon, Kinney (February 20, 2021). "A Preview of 10G Enabling Technologies". Broadband Library.
  7. ↑ "About MoCA". Multimedia over Coax Alliance. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
  8. ↑ "About MoCA". Multimedia over Coax Alliance. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
  9. ↑ "MoCA Members". Multimedia over Coax Alliance. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Organization - MoCA - Multimedia over Coax Alliance". 2024-09-25. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  11. ↑ MOCA FAQs
  12. ↑ "MoCA Technology - Installation Best Practices for a Home Network" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-07-12.
  13. ↑ "GoCoax | Support".
  14. ↑ "MoCA for Installers :: MoCA FAQs".
  15. ↑ "Introducing MoCA 2.0". Multimedia over Coax Alliance. June 15, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2012.
  16. ↑ "MoCA FAQs". MoCAlliance.org. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  17. ↑ KMCreative (14 March 2017). "SCTE/ISBE Standards, MoCA Team Up on New Operational Practice for DOCSIS 3.1-MoCA Interoperability". Multimedia over Coax Alliance. Archived from the original on 2021-06-13. Retrieved 2017-03-21.
  18. ↑ "SCTE 235, Operational Practice for the Coexistence of DOCSIS 3.1 Signals and MoCA Signals in the Home Environment" (PDF). Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-22. Retrieved 2017-03-21.
  19. ↑ "MoCA 2.5 News". MoCA web site. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  20. ↑ KMCreative. "MoCA Access™". Multimedia over Coax Alliance. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  21. ↑ "About MoCA - MoCA - Multimedia over Coax Alliance". 2024-09-16. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  22. ↑ Bacon, Kinney (February 20, 2021). "A Preview of 10G Enabling Technologies". Broadband Library.
  23. ↑ "MoCA 1.1 Specification for Device RF Characteristics" (PDF). Multimedia over Coax Alliance.
  24. 1 2 Verizon Online FiOS FAQ → 3.2 MOCA