Modems, satellite boxes, and Pace..........
European thumbs up for modems on tv set-top boxes
August 3, 1998
LONDON, ENGLAND, Newsbytes via NewsEdge
Corporation : The BABT, the UK
telecommunications regulatory approvals body, has
announced it is applying the latest regulatory
European standard for analog modems, CTR21, to
satellite TV set-top boxes (STBs).
The move opens up the option for STB
manufacturers to install a modem in their STBs
across Europe, including the UK, for Internet surfing,
interactive TV and pay-per-view registration,
Newsbytes notes.
The first company to register interest in adding
modem technology to its STBs is Pace Micro
Technology, which plans to have an Internet-enabled
STB out before the end of the year. Newsbytes
notes that the approvals system means that the firm
does not require country-by-country permission In
Europe to connect to the local telephone network.
According to Chris Gibbs, BABT's sales manager,
the approvals system is a first for Pace. "CTR21
allows BABT to give pan European approval to a
wide range of products incorporating analog modem
technology," he explained.
At Pace, Neil Dunn-Birch, the company's senior
approvals engineer, said that the CTR21 approval will
allow the company to bring approved products to
market even faster than before and at a much
reduced cost than has previously been possible.
"Pace can now look to take the same approach to
multi-market approval for its new range of digital
products as well," he explained.
BABT's Web site is at babt.com . Pace
Micro's Web site is at pacemicro.com . |
