No single networking solution will rule over STBs-- a device category IHS iSuppli predicts will grow to 184.6m units WW by 2014.
The analyst expects the STB market to have a CAGR of 6.9% from 2009 to 2014. 156.3m units should ship this year, up from 2009's 144.9m.
This situation will mean each networking technology currently available-- such as coax, wifi, Cat5/6 and HomePlug AV-- will carve its own niche, rather than dominate over any of the others.
Not even a system as high performance as built-in multimedia over coaxial (MoCA), which delivers up to 100Mbit-per-second data rates in US-based field tests, will completely take over-- partly due to its not being widely available in Europe. Only 10-20% of European households currently own the technology, according to iSuppli.
Wireless solutions will gain more ground in the future, but the analyst says penetration in excess of 50% of the market is unlikely in the short term.
Powerline might also prove to be an alternate solution, but its costs will probably remain a major hurdle to its widespread adoption.
