Broadband access through TV cable could smoke the competition shortly with predictions of 100 megabits-a-second download speeds as early next year. This is 50 time faster than average download speeds on the market now.
Finnish broadband equipment maker Teleste told Reuters, “this is a cost efficient technology,” because while companies can do it through fiber networks, this process is a lot cheaper to deal with because it utilizes the cables that are already there.
The new network looks quite promising and Teleste calls it “Ethernet to the Home” or EttH. There’s a great presentation in the form of a short movie and then short video pieces Senior Vice President Pekka Rissanen and the Business Director for the project, Reinaart Bryssinck.
The new process, EttH will create an Ethernet connection directly from the traditional cable line to the computer and promises 100 megabits per second download speeds. At a news conference, Teleste spokesperson Pekka Rissanen said “Just one TV program would take 10 to 20 megabits per second of this alone.” He went on to say 50 megabits wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
Hooking up to ETTH wouldn’t be that far out of range either at little over the $60 mark. The big question is even though cable broadband services will be enhanced, how will traditional phone and telecommunications companies be able to compete on price point. Even though fiber can do it, it can’t do it as cheaply.
John Stith is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
