ADB targets US cable market as security mandate approaches

June 27, 2007 - Advanced Digital Broadcast (ADB) has announced it is to take the plunge into the US cable set-top box market, following the FCC-mandated migration to removable security by 1 July.

The Switzerland-headquartered company attempted this move four years ago, with measured success, but felt market conditions were unfavourable with the dominant ‘duopoly’ of Motorola and Scientific Atlanta.  Now, however, original plans are “coming to fruition”, according to Michael Hawkey, Regional President for ADB Americas. “We are very supportive of the transition to open standards and believe that it will benefit both the cable operator and consumer by allowing increased competition in the sector.” As the cable industry moves to an ‘open’ model via the introduction of CableLabs’ cableCARD and OpenCable Application Platform (OCAP) initiatives, new opportunities for MSO-targeting firms such as ADB have thus arisen.

ADB, which has deployed 8mn set-top boxes for cable, IPTV, terrestrial and satellite video services worldwide, has connections with two OCAP stack developers, Osmosys and Vidiom Systems – the latter of which it acquired in early 2006 – and believes this expertise will help in its plans.  ADB will deliver its ADB-7820-C-DEV CableCARD set-top box, which has high-definition and MPEG-4 capability, for MSO testing by the end of 2007, and will follow this up with a unit featuring digital video recording.

Whether ADB’s renewed attempts to conquer a slice of the US cable market succeed remains to be seen, but once thing is for certain – the company could not have picked a better time.