Siemens to use Ultra-wideband for broadband video

Siemens Home and Office Communications Devices LLC, a U.S. unit of the German conglomerate, is one of six companies that Tzero Technologies Inc. said Monday will use Tzero technology for new products. Tzero, a fabless semiconductor company in Sunnyvale, California, specializes in UWB (ultrawideband), which can take advantage of a wide range of radio frequencies for fast delivery of data. The systems will consist of boxes that wirelessly distribute multimedia content from a broadband connection and receivers that will be attached to TVs or other consumer electronics systems.

Service providers are looking to IP for sending high-definition TV and other multimedia streams, though commercial use of such networks is just starting to get off the ground. They envision being able to send more than one channel at a time, but over just one connection to the home. Getting that content to several TVs is a bigger challenge than letting three people surf the Web over the same connection, because delivery has to be smooth. Doing it without wires can save the service provider a trip to the subscriber's home, according to Tzero.