Multimedia & Home Networking

With the maturing of DECT data standards, the development of the DECT Multimedia Application Profile, DMAP, and the DECT Packet Radio Service, DPRS, wireless multimedia and  networking products for the domestic and office environment based on DECT have at last become a commercial reality, rather than simply concept models at trade shows.

On this page we are including products based on DMAP, emerging from companies who are members of the  DECT Multi Media Consortium - MMC as well as other products using other DECT protocols.

What is the DECT Multi Media Consortium ?
DECT-MMC Website
DECT-MMC is an industrial consortium founded by Ascom, Canon, Dosch & Amand, Ericsson, Hagenuk, and National Semiconductor.  It represents a growing group of internationally operating IT, TC and consumer electronics companies, which have made the strategic decision in favor of the new DMAP/DPRS standard and are incorporating additional DMAP specifications in their terminal equipment program. (For a current list of members please see their website).

With the new DECT generation, DMAP, a more powerful, pan-European uniform standard for wireless utilization of multimedia services is now available which finally puts an end to the annoying cable spaghetti in the coalescing residential, SoHo and business sectors and which also makes completely new applications possible. The effort needed for specification and realization of the first global fully multimedia capable data radio was very complex. And it is not without reason that there were no solutions of this kind on the market before DMAP. Because of all this, DMAP resulted in the founding of the international DECT-MultiMediaConsortium at the DECT World Congress '99 in Barcelona in January 1999.

Dosch & Amand
Company website
Airport and Freekey - ISDN DECT OEM PCMCIA card and basestation products which support data applications from PC to basestation, as well as ad-hoc networking between PCs, (with one of the PC PCMCIA units configured to act as a basestation). 
First shown at the DECT '98 conference in Barcelona January 1998 and at CeBIT '98.
Described in the February 1998 issue of Land Mobile Magazine.
Freekey is available through Deutsche Telekom in Germany under the brand name Teledat Cordless.
Also, these products are about to be distributed by Ascom in an English/German version by the end of 1999.

ECI Telecom
ECI telecom have acquired the DECT cable innovator Telegate
Company website
Cordless over Cable TV Networks
Telegate, an Israeli-based company, are offering cable operators an opportunity to offer cordless broadband services in the residential and SOHO environment over existing CATV infrastructure with minimal additional cost with their Multigate DECT product. 

Multigate system overview
Download the Multigate White Paper
Download the Multigate details

Their latest  Multigate DECT-GSM product extends this to also support integrated one-number cellular services as well.
For full details see their press release.

Goodwin
Company website
Marketing D&A products as the Goodwin Airport system, DMM - DECT Multi Media, Goodwin is selling such products into Russia

Wireless Data / ISDN product:
Homecom 128
HomeCom 128 is a cordless modem with telephony possibilities. HomeCom 128 makes it possible to connect 2 PC's wirelessly to the ISDN plug in the house. Apart from that it is possible to connect 6 cordless telephones to the installation from where there is access to all of ISDN's extra functions. The bandwidth from the ISDN base to the PC is 128 kbit/s. When a call is received during another conversation one channel is disconnected (call bumping), leaving 64 kbit/s open for data, while a speech channel is opened. From the PC it is possible to open and close one of the two channels, making it possible to make an external call, leaving one Internet channel open. The communication from the PC is done via the USB port.

Lake Communications
Company website
As a part of the BT funded research, DECT and 802.11 compliant systems have been developed at

See details of their Airway product, launched with BT in London in July 2000.
Airway product brochure

Lake's White Paper on the Network Home

Loewe
The Loewe Xelos @media line of products give the TV viewer full access to the Internet and places CD ROM data on the television screen. Xelos @media products are capable of receiving both digital and analogue TV signals. Hardware and software are combined into a single home multimedia solution. And the Loewe Channel makes "surfing" the World Wide Web really easy.

Since October 1999 Loewe AG has been official member of the DECT MultiMediaConsortium to support wireless ISDN-connections. Loewe makes use of this technology in order to connect home multimedia televisions wireless to the online-world.

Screen Media
Company website
FreePad Website
The FreePad is a wireless Internet and telephony enabled home appliance device, enabled by  DECT-DMAP technology.

The FreePad is a wireless touchscreen device that offers consumers services like e-mail, faxes, voicemails, e-commerce, telephony at a low price with an intuitive, ergonomic user interface. The device includes a WEB browser, CTI applications, a DECT wireless transmitter and a Smart card reader. Combined with the central control system provided by Screen Media this system provides a turnkey communication solution for Telcos, ISPs, communities, portals etc. The combination of wireless data and telephony based upon available technology (ISDN, ADSL, PSTN, CATV) is a unique offering.

Opera are working with Screen Media to commercialise the DECT FreePad, bringing their LINUX technology. The explosion of Internet and wireless technology has encouraged Screen Media and Opera to combine their resources and technology to develop a wireless device that merges Internet access and telephony in one simple and easy to use device. The device includes the Opera for Linux web browser, CTI applications, a DECT wireless transmitter and a Smart card reader controlled by a central system provided by Screen Media.

Telegate
Company website
Telegate have been acquired by ECI Telecom - see ECI Telecom above

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