Q&A with Steve Heeb
By Steve Heeb
Why has RDK decided to participate at SCTE•ISBE Cable-Tec Expo® this year?
SCTE•ISBE Cable-Tec Expo is now the largest cable telecom event in North America, and it provides a key gathering place for technical decision makers from across our industry. From our perspective, Expo provides us with a unique forum to discuss the global activity driving the RDK community, including CPE manufacturers, SoC vendors, software developers, system integrators, and service providers. We’re excited about exhibiting for the first time this year, and for the special RDK executive speaking session that will take place at this year’s show.
For those who may be unfamiliar, can you explain the RDK at a high-level?
The RDK is an open source software platform for operators to manage video and broadband devices. It provides operators a common software solution that they control and that spans across CPE devices in the home. The RDK can be a catalyst to work in an agile and Dev-Ops methodology to drive new video and broadband services. Some of the aspects that operators like include: community code sharing, operator determined hardware and code versions, fast development cycles, and better real time data access to manage their devices, network and products. Service providers, and their suppliers, have found it to be a prime open source software development platform upon which to drive future growth and innovation.
What are some of the key technical functions that RDK software handles for video and broadband?
RDK software resides on the chipsets within STBs and Gateways, below the application and services layer, and enables video and broadband providers to standardize certain technical functionality. For video, RDK software provides a common method to manage various video functions on set-top boxes such as tuning, IP video, third party DRM, and media streaming. For broadband, RDK software provides a common method to manage various functions, such as home-networking interfaces, device management, diagnostics, and more. It also includes core interfaces used in smart home and IoT devices, including Bluetooth, Thread and Zigbee.
How widely has RDK been accepted globally, and which service providers have publicly announced RDK deployment plans?
There are now more than 350 technology companies in the RDK community, including many of the world’s leading service providers, CE manufacturers, SoC vendors, software developers, and system integrators. Earlier this year, we disclosed that the number of RDK devices deployed globally rose to 40 million. We don’t speak on behalf of our members, but companies that have publicly announced deployment plans for RDK-based services include: Comcast, Cox, J:COM, Liberty Global, Melita, NOS, NOWO, Rogers, Shaw, Tele Columbus, Vidéotron, and Vodafone (formerly Kabel Deutschland). In fact, more than 25 video and service providers across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia are members of the RDK community and are in various stages of evaluation, testing, trials, or deployment.
Looking forward, are there new areas of focus we should expect from you?
The RDK community drives our roadmap, and there is a growing consensus of interest in several new areas. Recently, we’ve seen the community introduce RDK solutions for fiber EPON gateways, demonstrating the versatility of our open-source software for this important segment of the market. The RDK community is also developing open source software solutions for chipsets used in a variety of new devices, such as home video cameras and Wi-Fi extenders to address the growing interest in connected-home/smart home services. Another key area to watch pertains to new video and Wi-Fi applications. Our community is working on ways to make it easier for service providers to launch and operate third-party apps on RDK devices, where the service providers control the experience and the ability to maintain quality that their subscribers have come to expect. We look forward to discussing and showcasing these efforts, and more, at SCTE•ISBE Cable-Tec Expo this year.
Steve Heeb
President and General Manager
RDK Management, LLC
Steve Heeb is responsible for managing all aspects of RDK Management, LLC including leading faster development/innovation cycles and managing relationships between a diverse set of licensees such as OEMs, MVPDs, and other key vendors/suppliers. Steve also serves as Vice President of Licensing & Strategic Development at Comcast, where he manages key Comcast licensing initiatives including the DTA technology, RDK software, VOD technology, and the EBIF interactive TV software.
