Charter Communications has opened two national centralized data centers to support the downloadable security system on its new cable box, the company said in an FCC filing.
According to Charter, the centers will be used to support the new security platform on its new IP-capable “Worldbox” cable boxes. The news was first reported by Multichannel on Monday.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2015, Charter announced it was collaborating with Cisco to move key security features to the cloud in the new Worldbox.
Charter said it was able to begin distribution of the new box in 2015 despite an FCC integration ban thanks to a waiver that was valid through the end of the year. As of December 31, the company said it was supporting some 2.7 million set-top boxes with integrated security deployed under the waiver.
Charter said in the filing the lease charges for downloadable Worldboxes and CableCard-enabled set-top boxes are the same.
Charter’s Worldbox is Broadcom-based and comes equipped with dual IP/QAM capabilities. The device has a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem as well as an Ethernet connection and front and rear USB ports. The Worldbox comes with 1GB of RAM and a terabyte of storage on its HD-DVR. The box also comes with a new remote control that uses RF rather than IR technology.
During Charter’s third quarter earnings call in October, CEO Thomas Rutledge said the company was planning an initial roll out of its Worldbox and cloud-based Spectrum Guide in Reno, Nev. and St. Louis, Mo. Rutledge said the company would continue the roll out “as rapidly as we can operationalize it,” but noted that the company was about six weeks behind its anticipated schedule due to “software issues.”