At the briefing, SBC showed how video could be streamed over a 700 kilobit per second DSL connection. The display quality matched that of a videocassette. SBC plans to use in new housing developments could yield DVD-quality video. One big challenge will be hooking DSL to the consumers' TVs. Chang said new products are making it possible to connect the TV to the phone company network and the Internet.
Consumers can use wireless keyboards and even remote controls to access broadband services.
The company is conducting consumer trials to see how some of these technologies and services will play out in everyday use. Next week, SBC is expected to start offering a home networking device that will allow users to hook up several computers, Web appliances and other devices to their DSL connections with wires or wirelessly. Such devices are already sold in electronics stores, and are mainly being used by people who have more than one computer.