Windstream Offers 2Wire Wireless Home Gateways

Windstream Corp. said Tuesday it has begun offering gateways from 2Wire Inc. that support wireless home networking to customers in its 16-state region, adding fuel to the drive to establish wire-free technology as a viable alternative to wire and cable approaches.

Interest in, and development of, wireless home networking schemes from the likes of 2Wire has picked up steam as telcos seek a single, multifunction unit to replace multiple devices. That’s part of their strategy to make home networking less disruptive and quicker to deploy in order to keep installs quick and costs down.

Work to standardize home gateway capabilities and architecture has been ongoing, with many vendors working through the Home Gateway Initiative, a service provider-created global group. 

2Wire said its HomePortal 2701HG intelligent residential gateway enables multiple users to wirelessly share access to the Internet while sharing files, printers, and networked applications with networked devices in the home.

The HomePortal 2701HG supports the DSL Forum TR-069-driven standard, meaning the residential gateway can easily be monitored remotely. 2Wire said the device can be self-installed and is equipped with an ADSL2+ modem, a HyperG wireless router for what it calls “whole-home wireless coverage,” and a firewall.

“We want to provide our customers the current and future benefits of broadband connectivity and home networking, without the headaches of complex installation and maintenance," said Roger Woziwodzki, vice president of strategic business development for Windstream, in prepared comments.

The gateways are available to current and new Windstream broadband customers. The telco has some 3.2 million access lines and more than $3 billion in annual revenue.

2Wire gained notoriety as the home equipment partner for AT&T Inc.’s satellite-based Homezone video service, which is generally provided to customers that can’t be effectively served via landline networks, or as an option for customers in territory the carrier has acquired through mergers and acquisitions. The cpe vendor said its customers also include Bell Canada, BT and Embarq.

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