CableLabs, and its member companies, are developing a packet network to overlay on cable, which will deliver a new family of services. Generically called “PacketCable™,” these services could be any useful features capable of being transported by a packet network. The technical underpinning of this overlay network is the Internet protocol (IP) running over standard cable modems. The following extended abstract discusses the conceptual framework and focus of the PacketCable development effort.