COMPARISON WITH WIRELESS SYSTEMS

Although proven high-speed serial technologies like USB and IEEE 1394 can support broadband data applications, both of these technologies involve running wires between devices across the home premises. This retrofitting process poses various obstacles, including high costs, significant technological complexity, and an awkward installation procedure, which eliminates these technologies as viable mass-market solutions. Instead, these technologies will likely exist as subnetworks, interconnecting clusters of devices, which will then interface with a "no new wiring" home network backbone. The next chapter will describe wireless systems in greater detail.