Broadband service providers managed to get their services across the "last mile" and demarc it with a variety of customer premises devices. Reaching nearly 7 million users (mainly DSL and Cable TV) in the US only, operators are now looking for the next step - Home Networking. Cable operator's original set-top boxes that were used for converting the cable TV signals to video, are incorporating more and more data functionalities and many vendors are already using a new term for such a device - residential gateway. The cable modem that was just used for data over cable networks is now incorporated into the residential gateway. Cable modems will continue to exist but with less new installations as residential gateways will take more and more market share. The same goes for the DSL modems whiich are now moving to become the next generation residential gateways with more networking functionalities, QoS and firewall.

Now that the broadband is at the front door of every house, comes the next question - how to distribute the broadband in the home. Wireless technology is one of appealing technologies for broadband distribution. The main reason for that is the mobility - surf the Internet everywhere at any time - while walking around the house, while sitting in your bed or while talking on the phone with friends. There are several wireless technologies that are offered today in the different retail chains like IEEE 802.11b, HomeRF, BlueTooth or Infrared systems.

So broadband is getting through the cable system or copper DSL lines to a set-top box/ cable modem/ DSL modem/residential gateway, which is located next to the TV set or the computer. The wireless access point is either integrated into the end devices or a stand-alone unit connected to the end devices. The user laptop has the wireless PCMCIA or another stand-alone box next to the PC and the fun begins. The happy surfer that is now walking around the house while surfing begins to see degradation in the surfing speed as he is getting away from the access point. This is a known phenomenon, as house walls and metal bars in the walls are obstacles that reduce wireless transmission rate. So here comes the disappointment - after going through all the trouble of setting the system and paying so much for the equipment, it is not working, as it should.

Here comes a small Israeli company, called SerCoNet, with a simple but brilliant idea - why not a small low cost distributed access points in every room to enhance the wireless performance? SerCoNet developed a home networking system that is using the existing home phone wires with transmission rate of up to 100 Mbps. The system is based on a simple replacement of the phone outlets with SerCoNet smart outlet. This can be used as a backbone to connect various devices in the house but also to be the access point for wireless transmissions. Each outlet can handle the wireless devices in the near area so there is no degradation of transmission rate. It can also reduce the wireless devices cost as the transmission power and modulation complexity can be reduced due to the short ranges and less interference introduced. Reduction in transmission power can also reduce the radiation risks involved with RF transmissions.

Another way of using the SerCoNet system is to support higher rate technologies like HiperLAN2 that have a limited range. The transmission rate of these technologies (52 Mbps) is supported by the SerCoNet system that can overcome the distance limitations while keeping the mobility advantages. As for end devices - the SerCoNet is easily connected to any device using different interfaces like 10/100BT or USB. The SerCoNet system is the bridge between the broadband system and the wireless access points distributed in every outlet in the home. So the race is now in full speed…