RDK Adoption Surges Globally

London – March 20, 2018

At the 2018 Connected TV World Summit, RDK Management, LLC provided its annual update about the adoption of the RDK (Reference Design Kit) software used to power customer-premises equipment (CPE) from video and broadband services providers worldwide.  

“With more than 40 million RDK-based set-top boxes and broadband gateways deployed globally, it’s clear that service providers, and their suppliers, have found a prime open source software development platform upon which to drive future growth and innovation,” said Steve Heeb, President and General Manager of RDK Management, LLC. “Our transparent approach to solving common technical challenges enables operators to focus their efforts on creating the UIs, applications and back-end data analytics that enhance the customer experience and business results. Our community will also be there with solutions, beyond TV and Internet, as the industry expands into IoT and new kinds of smart home services.” 

Open Source Platforms for the Whole Home 

RDK software resides on the chipsets within CPE, below the application and services layer, and enables video and broadband providers to standardize certain technical functionality. The open source software provides a common interface to SoCs, acting as a kind of universal SoC adapter. Specifically, the RDK-V (video) software solution provides a common method to manage various video functions on set-top boxes such as tuning, IP video, third party DRM, and media streaming. The RDK-B (broadband) software solution provides a common method to manage various broadband functions on gateways, such as home-networking interfaces, device management, diagnostics, and more.   

RDK software also includes core interfaces used in smart home and IoT devices, including Bluetooth, Thread and Zigbee. Given the rising interest in connected-home services, the RDK community is developing open source software solutions for chipsets used in a variety of new devices, such as home video cameras and Wi-Fi extenders. 

RDK software is available at no cost to RDK licensees, and RDK community member companies can contribute software changes and enhancements back to the community. RDK software is typically released every two weeks, and member companies are downloading RDK software components more than four million times every month – a fourfold increase from the same time last year.   

RDK Deployments and Community Growth 

Since last spring, the number of RDK devices deployed globally rose to 40 million from 25 million, an increase of more than 62%. 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 total, 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.  

RDK Management, LLC also disclosed that there are now more than 350 technology companies in the RDK community, up 17% from this same period last year. The community includes many of the world’s leading CE manufacturers, SoC vendors, software developers, and system integrators.  

Connected TV World Summit Keynote 

Key members of the RDK community are speaking today at a keynote session at the 2018 Connected TV World Summit at 1:45pm, including: Fraser Stirling, SVP of Devices and AI Systems at Comcast; Perdro Banderia, Director of Product Development at NOS; and Steve Heeb, President and General Manager of RDK Management, LLC. Conference details are available at connectedtvsummit.com/.  

Later this year, RDK Management, LLC will host its annual RDK European Summit for operators, concurrent with the annual IBC Show in Amsterdam in September, and will have a significant presence at the Cable-Tec Expo in Atlanta in October.   

About RDK Management, LLC 

RDK Management, LLC is a joint venture between leading pay TV operators created to administer the Reference Design Kit (RDK) software. The RDK software provides a common framework for powering customer-premises equipment (CPE) from video and broadband service providers, including set-top boxes, broadband gateways, and converged devices. The RDK community is comprised of more than 350 companies including: CPE manufacturers, SoC vendors, software developers, system integrators, and service providers.

Press Contact

Jeremy Pemble 

JLM Partners

jeremy@jlmpartners.com

206-381-3600

Renee Burch

JLM Partners

renee@jlmpartners.com

206-381-3600

RDK Management is an open source consortium that manages the Reference Design Kit (RDK). RDK is an open source software platform for the connected home that standardizes core functions used in broadband devices, set-top boxes, and IoT. It enables operators to manage their devices; control their business models; and customize their apps, UIs and data analytics to improve the customer experience and drive business results. The RDK community is comprised of more than 600 companies including: CPE manufacturers, SoC vendors, software developers, system integrators, and service providers.  For more information on the tools, training, and events provided by RDK Management, please visit: www.rdkcentral.com.  

Privacy
Terms & Conditions

Stay Updated

Copyright © 2019 RDK Management, LLC