This time around, a new Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) box for AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) U-verse made its way through the hallowed halls of the Commission this week. It looks a lot like other Cisco-made IPTV U-verse boxes, but this puppy comes equipped with a 802.11n connection that would do well to shuttle video, perhaps even HD-quality video, around the house to iPads and other Wi-Fi-capable screens and serve as a wireless complement to AT&T's existing whole-home DVR system.
IMS Research noted that the device's 802.11n radio uses the Broadcom Corp. (Nasdaq: BRCM) BRCM4717 chip, giving it a relatively inexpensive and less complicated design than AT&T's cable competitors will likely need to implement. [Ed. note: Is Ruckus Wireless Inc. still a factor at U-verse? (See AT&T's U-verse Gets Ready for Ruckus .)]
AT&T has yet to respond to questions, including when it plans to introduce the new box (called the ISB7005), but here's what it looks like:
In addition to 802.11n, the box also supports the usual stuff, such as ports for Ethernet, HDMI, S-Video and USB. Here's a copy of the user manual.
And consider this just the tip of the iceberg of what's to come as wireless becomes a more reliable way to send video around the house and work alongside Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA) , Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) and other wired home networking technologies.
Among recent examples, Liberty Global Inc. (Nasdaq: LBTY)'s "Horizon" gateway will use a Celeno Communications Wi-Fi chipset, and the Arris Group Inc. (Nasdaq: ARRS)-made gateway BendBroadband is set to launch this Spring also uses 802.11n. So consider this a new must-have, rather than a differentiating set-top feature from here on out. (See BendBroadband Rolls Arris's Video Gateway, Celeno Joins Liberty's Video Gateway Lineup and Arris IDs Its First Video Gateway Customer .)
— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Light Reading Cable
Perhaps they'll keep it around so the older boxes can do wireless video too... but, you're right, this Ruckus thing sorta faded into the background.
The IMS note on this played up U-verse's use of MPEG-4 as a bandwidth advantage over satellite and cable when it comes to HD. But that'll be short-lived since all new cable and satellite boxes can do MPEG-4. It's a matter of time before cable offers premium HD tiers that rely on MPEG-4 or get enough bandwidht in the bank to simulcast all their MPEG-2 HD in MPEG-4.
JB