January 24, 2013

Research & Analytics...

WiMAX For Utilities
The just-published WiMAX Forum System Profile Requirements for Smart Grid Applications codifies work done on WiGRID, an optimized IEEE 802.16 profile for Utility Field Area Networking applications. The document was compiled by the Forum's Smart Grid Working Group that includes technical reps from major electric power utilities, WiMAX vendors and industry experts. The proposed WiGRID System profile is an Ethernet version of IEEE 802.16 that includes features that allow uplink-centric data communications; lower latency; extended range; and the use of new frequency bands, including 1.4 GHz, 1.8 GHz, 2.3 GHz, 3.65 GHz and 5.8 GHz. This doc is the latest in the Forum’s quest to make sure WiMAX and WiGRID technology becomes a global standard and that industry products are interoperable.
 
STB Future In Jeopardy?
MRG's latest research predicts that, by 2014, digital TVs will supplant STBs as the predominant connected device in the home, representing a 37-percent share of the total connected-device market in that year. This could translate into a sea change in the way STB makers view their products moving forward and how future STBs either can compete with or complement smart TVs.