Motorola Is Moving Into Home Networks

Electronic News, Dec 7, 1998 by Carolyn Whelan

arlington heights, ill. -- Motorola is heading home. Into the home networking market, that is. Last Wednesday the company disclosed its plans to develop broadband home networking gateways as part of its full-scale push into that space, through its newly-announced home networking initiative.

The cornerstone of Motorola's drive is a new product which integrates a cable modem with "no new wires." The products will serve as a broadband information gateway enabling shared broadband access to the Internet, for simultaneous use of data, voice, and video services in homes with multiple PCs. Families will consequently be able to surf the Web, play interactive games and access IP telephony services, at the same time and from any room, either wirelessly or over traditional phone lines.

"Motorola has established itself as a leader in deploying broadband access technology," said Boyd Peterson, director, consumer networking,Yankee Group, a market research firm. "The company is now poised to extend its expertise into the burgeoning field of home networking. With Motorola's products consumers will find instant benefit in the combination of powerful broadband connections and in-home networking connectivity."

A key capability enabled by the product is access to lower-priced IP telephony services. That offering may interest many consumers. Motorola says those services will offer the same quality as today's phone service. "Our gateways will provide standard telephones and Internet appliances with access to the integrated voice and data networks currently being built by cable MSOs and telecommunications carriers, " said Randy Battat, senior vice president and general manager of Motorola's Internet and Networking Group.

"The 'no new wires' home networking technologies are a key to Motorola's strategy for connecting PCs, VoIP phones, and other Internet-aware devices in the home to the broadband cable network," added Vedat Eyuboglu, vice president, Motorola's Home Networking Product Operation.