Celeno Communications, a provider of semiconductors for multimedia Wi-Fi home networking applications, has announced that Deutsche Telekom (DT) has selected its CL1820 Wi-Fi chip and OptimizAIR technology to power the operator’s Speedport W 102 Bridge, which will enable DT to distribute its ‘Entertain’ IPTV service wirelessly throughout the home to consumers in Germany. The Speedport W 102 Bridge allows customers to stream High-Definition (HD) IPTV and time-shifted content recorded on a master digital video recorder (DVR) wirelessly to multiple set-top boxes (STBs) anywhere in the home. ‘Celeno’s optimised Wi-Fi technology far exceeds that of conventional Wi-Fi, which is merely designed for internet surfing,’ noted Ulrich Grote, vice president of terminal management at DT’s Fixed Line department, adding: ‘Celeno’s solution not only allows for flawless HD video streaming, it also enables multi-room DVR with the high quality of experience our consumers demand.’
DT’s Entertain IPTV service, which was launched in 2007, offers around 140 TV channels, an online video store and TV archive with 15,000 titles (2,000 of them available in HD), approximately 2,500 national and international radio stations, and a range of interactive applications. At the end of September 2011 the offering had signed up a total of 1.375 million customers and was available to 20 million households across Germany over DT’s high speed DSL lines. The Entertain package, which includes TV, telephony and an internet flat rate, is available from EUR44.95 (USD60.2) per month.