Terayon Opens Its Wireless Gateway

Terayon Communication Systems Inc. is pitching cable operators on a wireless gateway that would replace the gear consumers to the back of its existing modems.

The add-on Wx-54G cable-modem extension would provide operators a means to sell-in home networking to high-speed Internet subscribers.

The product is in trials with several MSOs and Terayon has already taken orders for the device, said Joe Benigno, vice president and general manager of Terayon’s content-access solutions division. Pricing has not been set, but Benigno said it would be competitive with current devices on sale at retail.

The device is designed to be attached to current Terayon TJ 700x series modems. Terayon has shipped more than 2 million of these modems to U.S. customers, including big MSOs Comcast Corp., Cox Communications Inc. and Adelphia Communications Corp.

“By deploying the Wx-54G home networking extension in conjunction with new or existing Terayon modems, operators can add a new application layer that increases the marketability and the 'stickiness’ of the high-speed data service,” Benigno said.

The module supports both 802.11B and 802.11g clients, at a combined maximum throughput of 54 Megabits per second.