After first deploying the service in Tampa Bay and Central Florida last summer, Bright House Networks has rolled out its “Echo” Wi-Fi offering, which was designed to fill-in Wi-Fi dead spots within a home, across its footprint.
The Echo access points are supplied by Actiontec Electronics while Entropic provides the MoCA silicon for both the Arris modems and hotspots.
Echo was designed to provide more consistent bandwidth for gaming, streaming and multiple devices on customer’s wired networks, as well as deliver a blanket of Wi-Fi for mobile devices, providing a stronger wireless signal away from the main modem. Echo turns a subscriber’s existing coaxial cable network into the equivalent of an Ethernet network.
The Echo service features two DOCIS 3.0 wireless gateways from Arris; the DG1670 and the TG16782. The service consists of an Echo modem that delivers increased range and signal as well as access points anywhere there is a cable outlet that has a Wi-Fi antennae and wired Ethernet ports that allow customers to connect devices such as smart TVs, video game systems or desktop computers directly to the Internet.
A spokeswoman for Bright House Networks said pricing for Echo varied by market and promotions, but installations generally run $29, plus $6 per month and $3 for each access point.