Predictika · Cable broadband access quotes

An AI sales agent's Harmonic CableOS quote, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent prepares a Harmonic CableOS quote for a cable operator: CableOS vCMTS software on COTS core servers, Core Routing Engine switches, Remote-PHY devices (Pebble, Ripple and Shell nodes, Wave and Reef shelves), edge uplinks, CableOS Central, installation and support. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of service-group capacity, server and switch sizing, spectrum, DOCSIS mode, redundancy, lead time and discount, and returns a verdict, every reason, a line-item quote and the figures it computed.

Scope: Harmonic CableOS quotes: the CableOS vCMTS on COTS servers, Core Routing Engine, Pebble R-PHY Device, Ripple and Shell R-PHY Nodes, Wave and Reef R-PHY Shelves, CableOS Central, installation and support, for DOCSIS 3.1 and DOCSIS 4.0 networks. See everything this validator covers

This validator models CableOS vCMTS and Remote-PHY quotes built from the product names in Harmonic's public CableOS solution brief, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Capacity — service groups against what the Remote-PHY devices serve, against the active core servers, against the 10G ports on the Core Routing Engines (counting the second path for 1+1 protection) and against the 100G uplinks to the edge router.
  • Spectrum and DOCSIS mode — which Remote-PHY devices reach 1,002, 1,218 or 1,794 MHz, DOCSIS 4.0 only on Shell and Reef at 1.8 GHz, peak rate and homes per service group for each DOCSIS mode.
  • Redundancy and service — an active-standby core needs standby servers, 1+1 switch protection needs two switches, Mission Critical support needs both, and support terms of 1, 3 or 5 years; lead time against the date the operator needs the network; discount and the stated total.
  • Approvals — a discount above 10 percent (up to 20 percent), uplinks above 80 percent of capacity, a five-year term, a large deployment on Standard support and a total above $8 million go to a person; a discount above 20 percent is blocked.

Any CableOS quote that touches these products, limits and services is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: Harmonic video products, fiber-to-the-home access, taxes and freight. The Harmonic product names are real; the capacities, spectrum rules, DOCSIS 4.0 support per device and every price on this page are typical or invented for illustration.

The AI sales agentBuilds the CableOS quote from the conversation with the cable operator and says it is ready.
Predictika validatorChecks every rule at once and returns the verdict, each finding, and the computed figures.

7 scenarios in 3 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch

What the agent proposes

The AI sales agent says

Illustrative agent statement. The validator receives the structured request below.

Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)

Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run

Predictika validator


      

        
        
        
      

      
Waiting for the call.

      
    

  

  
  

    
Where rules-based CPQ gets it wrong
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Our assessment of what a typical rules-based CPQ (product rules, price rules and validation rules, as in Salesforce CPQ) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.

    
What the validator caughtTypical rules-based CPQPredictika
Capacity across Remote-PHY devices, servers, switch ports and uplinksOnly with workarounds
Service groups must fit the Remote-PHY devices, the active core servers, the Core Routing Engine ports (twice over with 1+1 protection) and the edge uplinks. A CPQ holds each as a separate line, so rules have to roll the service groups up against four different capacities.		The service groups, devices, servers, switches and uplinks are inputs, and every capacity is compared on every call.
Spectrum and DOCSIS 4.0 against the device mixOnly with workarounds
Each Remote-PHY device reaches a different top frequency, and DOCSIS 4.0 works only on some of them at 1.8 GHz. The device lines and the spectrum choice live in different places.		The spectrum and the device mix are checked against each other, device type by device type.
Redundancy promised against redundancy quotedOnly with care
An active-standby core needs standby servers, 1+1 protection needs two switches, and Mission Critical support needs both. Each is a rule someone has to write and keep current.		The redundancy promised, the servers and switches quoted, and the support tier are checked together.
Peak rate and homes per service group by DOCSIS modeOnly with care
The limits differ between DOCSIS 3.1 and 4.0. A rule per mode is possible, but it depends on planning inputs that are not product options.		Rate and homes are inputs, and the limits of the chosen DOCSIS mode are applied on every call.
Lead time that depends on the configurationOnly with workarounds
Shelves and nodes, a large deployment and DOCSIS 4.0 each add weeks. The operator's date lives in the opportunity, not in the product options.		The lead time is computed from the configuration and compared with the date the operator needs.
A stated total that has to agree with the quoteOnly with workarounds
Per-service-group software, servers, devices, installation and years of support make a total that can drift from what is typed on the quote without anyone noticing.		The total is computed from the choices and compared with the total the quote states.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the quote is saved or a step is completed, so a person often fixes one error and meets the next.		All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in.

  

  

    
What this validator catches: findings from its test cases
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Every rule is checked on every call, in any order the choices arrive; one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
1The quote has 5 years of support, a long price commitment, so a person should confirm.
2The quote has 2 years of support; support is quoted for 1, 3 or 5 years.
3The quote serves no service groups, so there is nothing to price.
4The quote has 241 service groups, and the Remote-PHY devices quoted serve 240.
5240 of the Remote-PHY devices quoted do not support the spectrum the quote plans.
6The quote has 240 service groups, and the active core servers carry 80 each.
7The quote promises an active-standby vCMTS core and has no standby server.
8The Remote-PHY links need 112 10G ports on the Core Routing Engines, counting the second path for 1+1 protection, and the switches quoted provide 96.
9The quote has 1+1 Core Routing Engine protection with 1 switch; it needs at least 2.
10The service groups carry 480 Gbps at peak against 500 Gbps of uplink, above 80 percent, so a network engineer should confirm.
11The service groups carry 480 Gbps at peak, and the 100G uplinks to the edge router carry 400.
12The quote plans 6 Gbps per service group, and the DOCSIS mode quoted allows 5.
13The quote has 501 homes per service group, and the DOCSIS mode quoted allows 500.
14The quote runs DOCSIS 4.0 on a spectrum below 1.8 GHz; DOCSIS 4.0 is quoted at 1,794 MHz.
15The quote runs DOCSIS 4.0 with 10 Pebble, Ripple or Wave devices; DOCSIS 4.0 is quoted on Shell and Reef only.
16The quote has Mission Critical support without an active-standby core and 1+1 Core Routing Engines.
17The operator needs the network in 15 weeks, and the lead time for this order is 16 weeks.
18The quote takes a discount of $121,601 against $1,216,000 of list price, above the 10 percent that needs a sales director.
19The quote takes a discount of $243,201 against $1,216,000 of list price, above the 20 percent an agent may offer.
20The quote serves 624 service groups on Standard support, so a person should confirm the support level.
21The total is $8,714,000, above $8 million, so a person should confirm.
22The quote states a total of $1,215,999; the prices give $1,216,000.

  

  

    
Scenarios and results
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The recorded result of the validator for each scenario on this page: the request the AI agent sent, the verdict, and every finding, in the order they appear above.

    
1. Regional operator, Unified DOCSIS 4.0: A quote for a regional operator: 1,000 service groups on DOCSIS 4.0 with Reef and Wave shelves

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Harmonic CableOS network for 1,000 service groups on DOCSIS 4.0 at 1,218 MHz. It uses 15 Reef R-PHY Shelves and 12 Wave R-PHY Shelves. The planning is 400 homes and 4 Gbps at peak per service group. The vCMTS core has 18 active and 0 standby servers, as an active-standby core. The Core Routing Engine is protected 1+1 with 6 switches, and the edge router is reached over 36 100G uplinks. Support is Mission Critical for 3 years. The operator needs the network in 20 weeks. The quote states $5,840,200. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Core servers too few for the service groups. The quote has 1,000 service groups, and the active core servers carry 50 each.
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  • Active-standby core without a standby server. The quote promises an active-standby vCMTS core and has no standby server.
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  • Core Routing Engine ports exhausted. The Remote-PHY links need 336 10G ports on the Core Routing Engines, counting the second path for 1+1 protection, and the switches quoted provide 288.
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  • Edge uplinks too small. The service groups carry 4,000 Gbps at peak, and the 100G uplinks to the edge router carry 3,600.
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  • Too many homes per service group. The quote has 400 homes per service group, and the DOCSIS mode quoted allows 350.
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  • DOCSIS 4.0 below 1.8 GHz. The quote runs DOCSIS 4.0 on a spectrum below 1.8 GHz; DOCSIS 4.0 is quoted at 1,794 MHz.
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  • DOCSIS 4.0 on older Remote-PHY devices. The quote runs DOCSIS 4.0 with 12 Pebble, Ripple or Wave devices; DOCSIS 4.0 is quoted on Shell and Reef only.
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  • Lead time longer than the operator allows. The operator needs the network in 20 weeks, and the lead time for this order is 24 weeks.
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  • Stated total does not match. The quote states a total of $5,840,200; the prices give $5,876,200.
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2. Regional operator, Unified DOCSIS 4.0: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Harmonic CableOS network for 1,000 service groups on DOCSIS 4.0 at 1,794 MHz. It uses 21 Reef R-PHY Shelves. The planning is 340 homes and 4 Gbps at peak per service group. The vCMTS core has 20 active and 20 standby servers, as an active-standby core. The Core Routing Engine is protected 1+1 with 7 switches, and the edge router is reached over 45 100G uplinks. Support is Mission Critical for 5 years. The operator needs the network in 26 weeks. The discount is $826,560. The quote states $6,061,440. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Needs approval.

    
    
      
  • Discount above 10 percent. The quote takes a discount of $826,560 against $6,888,000 of list price, above the 10 percent that needs a sales director.
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  • Five-year support term. The quote has 5 years of support, a long price commitment, so a person should confirm.
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  • Edge uplinks above 80 percent of capacity. The service groups carry 4,000 Gbps at peak against 4,500 Gbps of uplink, above 80 percent, so a network engineer should confirm.
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  • Quote summary. List price of $6,888,000, discount of $826,560 and a total of $6,061,440.
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3. Regional operator, Unified DOCSIS 4.0: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Harmonic CableOS network for 1,000 service groups on DOCSIS 4.0 at 1,794 MHz. It uses 21 Reef R-PHY Shelves. The planning is 340 homes and 4 Gbps at peak per service group. The vCMTS core has 20 active and 20 standby servers, as an active-standby core. The Core Routing Engine is protected 1+1 with 7 switches, and the edge router is reached over 50 100G uplinks. Support is Mission Critical for 3 years. The operator needs the network in 26 weeks. The discount is $383,940. The quote states $6,015,060. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Quote summary. List price of $6,399,000, discount of $383,940 and a total of $6,015,060.
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4. Rural operator, fiber deep: A quote for a rural operator: 300 service groups on Pebble and Ripple nodes at 1.8 GHz

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Harmonic CableOS network for 300 service groups on DOCSIS 3.1 at 1,794 MHz. It uses 75 Ripple R-PHY Nodes and 150 Pebble R-PHY Devices. The planning is 450 homes and 6 Gbps at peak per service group. The vCMTS core has 4 active and 0 standby servers, as an active-standby core. The Core Routing Engine is protected 1+1 with 1 switch, and the edge router is reached over 8 100G uplinks. Support is Standard for 3 years. The operator needs the network in 16 weeks. The quote states $1,507,100. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Active-standby core without a standby server. The quote promises an active-standby vCMTS core and has no standby server.
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  • Core Routing Engine ports exhausted. The Remote-PHY links need 450 10G ports on the Core Routing Engines, counting the second path for 1+1 protection, and the switches quoted provide 48.
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  • 1+1 Core Routing Engine with one switch. The quote has 1+1 Core Routing Engine protection with 1 switch; it needs at least 2.
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  • Edge uplinks too small. The service groups carry 1,800 Gbps at peak, and the 100G uplinks to the edge router carry 800.
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  • Peak rate over the DOCSIS limit. The quote plans 6 Gbps per service group, and the DOCSIS mode quoted allows 5.
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  • Remote-PHY device cannot reach the spectrum. 225 of the Remote-PHY devices quoted do not support the spectrum the quote plans.
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  • Stated total does not match. The quote states a total of $1,507,100; the prices give $1,309,100.
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5. Rural operator, fiber deep: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Harmonic CableOS network for 300 service groups on DOCSIS 3.1 at 1,794 MHz. It uses 75 Shell R-PHY Nodes. The planning is 450 homes and 4 Gbps at peak per service group. The vCMTS core has 4 active and 4 standby servers, as an active-standby core. The Core Routing Engine is protected 1+1 with 4 switches, and the edge router is reached over 15 100G uplinks. Support is Standard for 3 years. The operator needs the network in 16 weeks. The quote states $1,476,500. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Quote summary. List price of $1,476,500 and a total of $1,476,500.
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6. Small operator, Wave shelves: A quote for a small operator: 120 service groups on Wave shelves with DOCSIS 4.0

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Harmonic CableOS network for 120 service groups on DOCSIS 4.0 at 1,794 MHz. It uses 5 Wave R-PHY Shelves. The planning is 300 homes and 2 Gbps at peak per service group. The vCMTS core has 2 active and 2 standby servers, as an active-standby core. The Core Routing Engine is protected 1+1 with 2 switches, and the edge router is reached over 3 100G uplinks. Support is Premium for 2 years. The operator needs the network in 14 weeks. The discount is $199,750. The quote states $799,000. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Support term not offered. The quote has 2 years of support; support is quoted for 1, 3 or 5 years.
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  • Core servers too few for the service groups. The quote has 120 service groups, and the active core servers carry 50 each.
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  • Remote-PHY device cannot reach the spectrum. 5 of the Remote-PHY devices quoted do not support the spectrum the quote plans.
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  • DOCSIS 4.0 on older Remote-PHY devices. The quote runs DOCSIS 4.0 with 5 Pebble, Ripple or Wave devices; DOCSIS 4.0 is quoted on Shell and Reef only.
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  • Lead time longer than the operator allows. The operator needs the network in 14 weeks, and the lead time for this order is 16 weeks.
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  • Discount above agent authority. The quote takes a discount of $199,750 against $799,000 of list price, above the 20 percent an agent may offer.
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  • Stated total does not match. The quote states a total of $799,000; the prices give $599,250.
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7. Small operator, Wave shelves: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please quote a Harmonic CableOS network for 120 service groups on DOCSIS 3.1 at 1,218 MHz. It uses 5 Wave R-PHY Shelves. The planning is 300 homes and 2 Gbps at peak per service group. The vCMTS core has 2 active and 2 standby servers, as an active-standby core. The Core Routing Engine is protected 1+1 with 2 switches, and the edge router is reached over 3 100G uplinks. Support is Premium for 3 years. The operator needs the network in 14 weeks. The discount is $35,600. The quote states $676,400. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Quote summary. List price of $712,000, discount of $35,600 and a total of $676,400.
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Narration transcript
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The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.

    
    
      
  1. Welcome to a demo of Predictika's Validator. An AI sales agent prepares a Harmonic CableOS quote for a cable operator: CableOS vCMTS software on COTS core servers, Core Routing Engine switches, Remote-PHY devices (Pebble, Ripple and Shell nodes, Wave and Reef shelves), and more. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of service-group capacity, server and switch sizing, spectrum, DOCSIS mode, redundancy, lead time and discount, and returns a verdict, every reason, a line-item quote and the figures it computed.
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  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
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  3. The agent says. Please quote a Harmonic CableOS network for 1,000 service groups on DOCSIS 4.0 at 1,218 MHz. It uses 15 Reef R-PHY Shelves and 12 Wave R-PHY Shelves. The rest of the request is on screen. The quote states $5,840,200.
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  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
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  5. Blocked, with nine findings, all in one answer. The quote has 1,000 service groups, and the active core servers carry 50 each. The quote promises an active-standby vCMTS core and has no standby server. The Remote-PHY links need 336 10G ports on the Core Routing Engines, counting the second path for 1+1 protection, and the switches quoted provide 288. The other six are on screen.
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  6. The validator returned nine blocking findings in one answer, led by Core servers too few for the service groups and Active-standby core without a standby server, among others. A check that reads one product or one field at a time would pass most of this; it shows only when the processor, displays, cameras, memory, safety level, software and the stated total are checked against each other.
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  7. What this shows: for capacity across Remote-PHY devices, servers, switch ports and uplinks, a rules-based CPQ can do this only with workarounds.
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  8. Now the agent resubmits.
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  9. The corrected request. It changes the spectrum to 1,794 MHz, the homes per service group to 340, the Reef R-PHY Shelves to 21, the active core servers to 20 and the stated total to $6,061,440. Six more changes are on screen. It removes the Wave R-PHY Shelves.
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  10. It calls the validator again.
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  11. Not blocked, but held for a person.
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  12. The validator also returns the line-item quote. It starts with CableOS vCMTS software and COTS core server for the vCMTS; the other seven lines are on screen.
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  13. The nine blocking findings are cleared; three approvals remain for a person: discount above 10 percent, Five-year support term and Edge uplinks above 80 percent of capacity.
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  14. The agent resubmits once more.
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  15. The revised request. It changes the 100G edge uplinks to 50, the support term to 3 years, the discount to $383,940 and the stated total to $6,015,060.
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  16. It calls the validator once more.
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  17. This time the validator clears it.
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  18. The validator also returns the line-item quote. It starts with CableOS vCMTS software and COTS core server for the vCMTS; the other seven lines are on screen.
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  19. All three earlier findings are cleared, and the validator's total, $6,015,060, matches the quote.
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  20. Nine problems caught in one call, fixed in two passes, and a clean $6,015,060 quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer. Now you can try the other scenarios yourself.
    21.