The Real Deal
New homes now wired for modern families
There are smart cards, smart phones and now, smart homes. What exactly is a "smart" home? Well, to put it simply, it is a home that is wired for sound, video, phones, PCs, the Internet, remote-controlled devices such as garage doors and security systems, and whatever else the builder and the buyer can load onto the twisted pair cable connecting the home to the rest of the world.
New homes are being built to handle sophisticated networks of integrated products (phone, PC, television, etc.), but older homes are facing some real challenges in upgrading to accommodate large bandwidth (the amount of electronic "space" that is needed to send and receive data, video or voice signals) services like the Internet. Some issues the buyer will be able to address themselves such as installing PC-to-PC networks so that children can play computer games with each other or share modem features for dialing out to the Internet, but issues such as the type of phone wiring and hookups that were installed at the time the house was built may require a neighborhood-wide approach.
Phone companies are beginning to address the need for improving services to the home by installing high-speed equipment that can improve the performance of data transmissions over copper wiring. Some companies are even going so far as to rewire with fiber optic lines which provides very large bandwidth to the home. If you are interested in learning if your community is targeted for upgrades, contact your local city planning commission or the local phone carrier.
Home networks of the future will be designed to feed music, TV signals, movies, video signals, and data to rooms throughout the house. For example, someone in the kitchen may be able to call up the Internet on a flat-screen panel embedded in the wall in order to bring up their favorite recipe while checking their electronic pantry inventory for the necessary items. Most of this level of technology is still a ways off, but homes being built at this time have the necessary electrical hookups to make the applications happen when the time comes.
The primary needs of today revolve around the interconnection of computers in order to share such things as printers and modems and the ability to remotely control systems such as security, temperature, stereos and sprinklers. Companies like Sun Microsystems, IBM, Microsoft and Intel have developed software and hardware products to address these needs. The challenge for the high-tech manufacturers is to make a product that does not require full-time technical support at the home site!
Telecommunications is now on the list with the size of the home, location, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and structural concerns. The 1990s homebuyer is looking to buy a home that will not only meet their needs today but in the future. Therefore, it is important that consumers review the wiring and cabling of the home before purchasing as there may likely be a need to upgrade in order to accommodate the latest technologies.
Information provided in this column is presented by the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors. Send questions regarding any topic you would like to see addressed in this column to: Your Realtor and You, c/o SILVAR, Palo Alto District, 345 San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94022; call 650.949.9115; or send email to: ppompei@siliconvalleyrealtors.org.
|
Saratoga, California Since 1955
