AT&T U-verse TV Would Not Meet FCC's AllVid Gateway Requirement

AT&T's U-verse TV service -- as it is currently implemented -- would not be able to meet the Federal Communications Commission's proposed requirements for an "AllVid" IP gateway that would let third-party consumer electronics access pay-TV services, according to a Multichannel News analysis.

AT&T's IPTV service is able to deliver a maximum of only four standard-definition and two or three HD streams to each subscriber. In its Notice of Inquiry, the FCC envisions a devise that provides at least six simultaneous video streams within the home (which would allow picture-in-picture in three different rooms). AT&T's U-verse fiber-to-the-node network architecture relies on DSL to deliver voice, video and data to the customer premises. The bandwidth limitations of DSL prevent the telco from delivering more than three concurrent HD video streams per household.