VoIP Gateways

UPC Netherlands, a cable operator, is planning to introduce some new shared Wi-Fi hotspots based on its home routers, as well as a new smartphone-based VoIP app.

The company will complete the tests of its new service starting in Zutphen later this year. UPC customers will be able to share their broadband modems with each other.

UPC’s test will initially look at the customer experience. If it’s successful, the company will roll it out across the rest of Europe after starting in the Netherlands. UPC will look at the equipment a customer’s using and see if the experience can be enhanced by additional Wi-Fi equipment.

UPC announced the new program at IBC, where it also showed off its iPhone (News - Alert) app. The app supports calls over 3G or Wi-Fi. The rates are based on the user’s fixed-line phone costs.

The company also showed off its Horizon set-top box, which it had announced at IBC two years ago. The box was unveiled last year in the Netherlands, then rolled out in Ireland, Germany and Switzerland.

More and more people are buying connected devices, making hotspots like UPC’s attractive as devices like tablets and smartphones tax wireless networks.

Belkin also recently introduced a new Linksys router, the  Linksys (News - Alert) Smart Wi-Fi AC1900, offering speeds of up to 600 Mbps over 802.11n and up to 13000 Mbps over the Wireless-AC networks, speeds comparable to wired Ethernet.

“Trends like the increase in connected devices in the home and the rise of on demand video services, enabling consumers to consume video on virtually any screen, puts a more critical demand on the home network," said Mike Chen, senior director of home networking at Belkin. "Our products are not only extremely fast, they are also easy to install and control through the innovative Linksys Smart Wi-Fi platform.”

Customers can also adjust the router’s transmissions for greater range and performance.