Intel driving low-cost cable modems
The next giant sucking sound out of the Intel machine might spell trouble for the cable modem silicon providers like Broadcom...
By Jim Davis
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
February 16, 1999, 4:00 a.m. PT
High-speed cable modems may become cheaper in the near future as a result of an Intel initiative now coming to light.
Intel is working with Libit Signal Processing and possibly other partners to produce a futuristic breed of devices called "host-based" cable modems.
The devices would use the computer's main microprocessor and memory for some functions, rather than requiring the separate processor, memory, and operating system normally needed by a stand-alone modem. Because fewer chips are needed, they are potentially less expensive and easier to upgrade than traditional hardware modems.
The effort comes at a propitious time for the cable movement: After a long and arduous process, cable modems based on industry-approved standards should be available by the end of the quarter. As a result, the long hoped-for move to sell cable modems in a retail market may finally start to develop in 1999.
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Technical documents describing how such a modem would work is reportedly expected to be submitted to CableLabs by March. A prototype modem is slated to be shown at an industry show in June.
As usual, Intel's interest in so-called "software" cable modems lies mainly in driving sales of its chips: With higher bandwidth connections, users would presumably download more processor-intensive multimedia content.
The company is involved in a number of similar efforts to migrate formerly discrete functions into the main processor. For instance, the company has demonstrated Pentium processors playing back DVD movie titles without the need for a separate MPEG-2 playback chip, and is investigating a host-based DSL modem as well.
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