Charter Set-Top Box Technology Could Be an Important Breakthrough

Charter Communications is working on some important new set-top box technology, Charter Communications President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Rutledge revealed.

The goal is to use IP communications to the set-top box, which will act as a thin client that can be updated from the head-end to support new capabilities, including security system functionality.

Charter is working on technology that would enable any set-top box the company has deployed to act as a thin client that the company can easily upgrade through an IP connection. The company hopes to have the technology deployed throughout its network by 2015. “From an investment perspective and a capital intensity perspective it [makes things] a lot easier,” said Rutledge of the new approach.

The thin client approach also will enable Charter to “leverage the interactivity of our network,” said Rutledge, adding “that’s what differentiates us from satellite.” Using a thin client “enables you to stay state-of-the-art and it’s also customizable,” Rutledge noted. “Whatever interfaces you think are attractive might not be what somebody else thinks is attractive and you have all the different demographics,” he said. “I could see a world where everybody could make up their own user interface.”