Francis,
I'd be less than honest if I told you that I followed Broadcom in any detail. I can speak to certain spaces it occupies in broader, architectural terms, however.
Yesterday I refrained from posting anything that had to do with TV set-tops, or in any way having to do with cable modems, video, and the like, for fear that the nails in my "network orchestration" soap box were quickly becoming undone. Since you've broached the topic, I'll post it now, since it speaks to my observations concerning the universality of VoIP in all platforms, over the horizon.
I lost the URL, but the actual text from NewsPage/Individual follows:
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General Instrument and Broadcom Announce Strategic
Partnership for Next-Generation Set-Top Terminal Silicon
March 26, 1998
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE) via NewsEdge Corporation --
Broadcom Corporation and General Instrument (NYSE:GIC) today
announced a strategic partnership for the development of highly
integrated silicon solutions for advanced interactive digital set-top
terminals.
According to the terms of a Development, Supply and License
Agreement, General Instrument has agreed to purchase a
guaranteed percentage of ICs for its digital cable set-top terminal
subscriber products from Broadcom in each of the next four years
covered by the agreement.
In addition, General Instrument has licensed MPEG-2
decompression technology to Broadcom. General Instrument
recently announced that it entered into long-term understandings
with most of the leading cable system operators ("MSOs ") to
supply at least 15 million advanced digital set-top devices to such
MSOs.
Broadcom has been selected by General Instrument as a strategic
supplier for the ongoing integration of critical functions and
technologies into more cost-effective silicon solutions.
Broadcom has already partnered with GI on developing integrated
silicon solutions for the transmission and control functions and
the video, audio, and graphics functions for their DCT-1000 and
DCT-1200 terminals.
Broadcom also will be working with GI to integrate more advanced
features such as cable modem functionality into a cost-effective
silicon solution for use in the DCT-5000+, GI's next generation
advanced interactive digital cable terminals, expected to be
introduced in early 1999.
[[fac: this is the part that is of interest here:]]
These modems will be designed to enable the units to facilitate
high-speed data networking applications such as Internet access
or IP telephony. This capability would be provided using a
protocol defined by the Multimedia Cable Networking Systems
("MCNS") consortium, made up of leading MSOs.
Broadcom's fully integrated communications solution will work
with GI's unique triple tuner architecture to enable consumers to
simultaneously watch TV and surf the Internet or watch and talk
using cable ___IP telephony___ functionality.
Late last year, Broadcom announced the availability of an
MCNS/Data-Over-Cable-Service Interface Specification
("DOCSIS") cable-modem silicon platform, which includes the
upstream, downstream and MAC chips for both cable modem
subscriber units and cable modem termination systems.
This technology will provide the basis for interactivity in
advanced set-top terminal designs, which will incorporate the
following key Broadcom technologies:
- Cable-TV Tuner and RF Technology
- 64/256-QAM Receivers
- QPSK Control Channel Receivers
- QPSK/16-QAM Transmitters
- MCNS/DOCSIS Media Access Control (MAC) Processors
"Through the cooperative efforts of General Instrument and
Broadcom, we are working to integrate all of the silicon
components of the next-generation digital set-top terminals into a
single VLSI device, excluding the processor and memory," said
Henry Nicholas, President and CEO of Broadcom Corporation.
"With this objective in mind, we have developed an architecture
and execution plan to deliver silicon, software and infrastructure
support. This plan addresses today's legacy systems, as well as
the emerging requirements of products that will enable
value-added interactive services. "
"We partnered with Broadcom because of its industry leadership
in cable modem silicon technology and its strong commitment to
the cable TV market, " said David Robinson, Vice President and
General Manager, Digital Network Systems at General Instrument.
"GI plans advanced set-top terminals supporting Internet
telephony, Internet surfing, e-mail, electronic commerce, home
banking, video-on-demand and a host of other interactive services
based on the Broadcom chip set."
Broadcom is a leading developer of highly integrated silicon
solutions, which enable broadband digital data transmission to the
home and within the business enterprise.
Using proprietary technologies and advanced design
methodologies, the Company has designed and developed
integrated circuits for some of the most significant broadband
communications markets, including the markets for cable set-top
terminals, cable modems, high-speed networking products, digital
broadcast satellite and terrestrial digital broadcast, and digital
subscriber line (xDSL).
Broadcom is based in Irvine, and can be reached at 714/450-8700 or
at broadcom.com.
General Instrument is the world leader in analog and digital
systems that provide video, audio and high-speed Internet/data
services over cable and satellite television networks.
This past December, GI announced that major cable operators
expect to purchase at least 15 million of GI's advanced digital
set-top terminals over the next 3 to 5 years at an estimated value of
$4.5 billion. In January 1998, GI and Sony announced that they
plan to form a strategic alliance to jointly develop technologies for
digital cable TV devices and high definition television products. |
