Abstract: Apparatus and method for load balancing cable modems across channels of a load balancing group on a DOCSIS network are described. At least one Quality of Service (QoS) parameter is collected for each service flow from cable modems actively passing traffic across one channel of the load balancing group. The QoS parameter collected is used to identify at least one cable modem having a service flow with an inferior grade of the QoS parameter relative to a pre-defined threshold of the QoS parameter. The cable modem having service flows with the inferior grade of the QoS parameter is selected first from the cable modems of the load balancing group for being moved from the one channel to a different channel of the load balancing group for purposes of balancing load of active service flows across the channels.