Broadcom Unveils New Voice Modem Chip

Alan Breznick, Cable/Video Practice Leader, Light Reading

October 18, 2005

1 Min Read
Broadcom Unveils New Voice Modem Chip

Seeking to rebound against archrival Texas Instruments in the cable silicon market, Broadcom introduced a new cable modem chip for the rapidly growing voice-over-IP (VoIP) business earlier today. Known as the BCM3368, the new voice modem chip features a single, integrated processor architecture with common memory and common peripheral access that eliminates the need for a separate DSP chip. Broadcom officials said the chip will both cut the cost of components by at least 20% and boost the performance of embedded multimedia terminal adapters (e-MTAs) based on it. Jay Kirchoff, Broadcom's director of marketing for cable modems, said the new chip was part of most of the 11 record-breaking e-MTAs that received approval in CableLabs' latest certification wave last month. Noting that e-MTA vendors have already ordered more than 100,000 units of the new chipset, he said some customers may have product in the marketplace by the end of the year. "We expect this to become our mainstay voice product," he said.

About the Author(s)

Alan Breznick

Cable/Video Practice Leader, Light Reading

Alan Breznick is a business editor and research analyst who has tracked the cable, broadband and video markets like an over-bred bloodhound for more than 20 years.

As a senior analyst at Light Reading's research arm, Heavy Reading, for six years, Alan authored numerous reports, columns, white papers and case studies, moderated dozens of webinars, and organized and hosted more than 15 -- count 'em --regional conferences on cable, broadband and IPTV technology topics. And all this while maintaining a summer job as an ostrich wrangler.

Before that, he was the founding editor of Light Reading Cable, transforming a monthly newsletter into a daily website. Prior to joining Light Reading, Alan was a broadband analyst for Kinetic Strategies and a contributing analyst for One Touch Intelligence.

He is based in the Toronto area, though is New York born and bred. Just ask, and he will take you on a power-walking tour of Manhattan, pointing out the tourist hotspots and the places that make up his personal timeline: The bench where he smoked his first pipe; the alley where he won his first fist fight. That kind of thing.

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