When deploying home networks, a recurring question is what kind of wireless technology is good enough for supporting multiple streams of HD video, while also delivering the lowest cost of deployment. Although there are several wired options for delivering compressed video in home networks, including MOCA, HPNA and PLC, they don’t offer the same coverage and cost-effectiveness as wireless technology. Wireless 802.11n is the only solution capable of easily and economically reaching every corner of the home, and potentially replacing wired technologies to significantly extend home-networking coverage for a variety of consumer products, from TVs, residential gateways (RGWs) and set-top boxes (STBs) to game consoles, IP phones and mobile devices.
Among wireless options, 802.11n is the only viable solution with the necessary performance and reliability for carrier-grade service deployment using all of these consumer products. This paper looks at the various 802.11n technologies that are available, and how they meet key requirements as both HD content and user expectations evolve and influence carrier services, roll-out strategies and the resulting consumer experience.
