SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Wireless is coming to the cable TV set-top box. But just which wireless and when is still not clear.
In the past, cable TV companies--and their set-top box partners--have generally said they did not want to support wireless directly because it is not secure and robust enough to carry their premium content. In their view, video rides coax and wireless is only for a secondary data network.
But that appears to be changing, according to one cable executive.
"Our signal will still come into the home via coax, but if you want video out on the patio or into the garage we will be able to provide a wireless link," said Vince Groff, executive director of strategy and corporate development for Cox Communications (Atlanta, Georgia).
Cox is developing a digital home architecture to drive its future offerings. It could be defined by early next year and will likely embrace multiple home network technologies, probably including Multimedia over Coax and some form of WiFi.
"I don't think there will be any one technology that wins" in home networking, said Groff, speaking in a break after a panel discussion on wireless home networks at the Connections conference.
Don't expect wireless in set-tops coming out in the next 12 months. But the new architecture Cox is defining now may drive wireless into set-tops perhaps two years out, he added.
