Broadcom expands satellite device portfolio for operators

LAS VEGAS, USA: Broadcom Corp. announced a new Outdoor Unit (ODU) satellite chipset that enables operators to deliver a wider range of services to more subscribers without additional satellite dish installations.

According to Nicholas Dunn, Broadcom VP of marketing, Broadband Communications Group:""With the launch of today's new low-power ODU chipset, Broadcom is helping to expand the availability of satellite services in single homes and multiple dwelling units across the globe. By streamlining the cabling required to support a single home or multiple residential units, we've also reduced hardware and installation costs for satellite operators and simplified satellite distribution to consumers."

Access to free-to-air channels provided by a range of satellites has stimulated demand for satellite TV among residential customers worldwide. Up to now, installation cost and the need for separate coaxial cable for each set-top box have resulted in higher deployment cost for satellite operators. Broadcom's BCM4551 addresses these issues, as well as regulations in countries that set a limit on the number of satellite dishes per building.

Broadcom's BCM4551 also offers a higher level of integration, while consuming less power than the previous generation chipset, and it enables direct sampling of low-noise block (LNB) outputs across worldwide ODU satellite markets. The simplified design of Broadcom's new ODU chipset also allows 24 DVB-S2 channels to be stacked on a single coaxial cable to service any set-top box in a home, simplifying and reducing satellite operator installation costs.