In the future, broadband can serve as more than just a medium for accessing internet content. Home control, energy management, home health services, and more are on the horizon for cable operators. The goal is to use the infrastructure already in place to accomplish new and creative goals and provide services that a consumer would desire to utilize.

Several executives from industry leaders met at a session entitled Coming Down the Pipe: Emerging Businesses Powered by Broadband, moderated by Jeff Baumgartner from Multichannel News to discuss their strategies for using cable infrastructure for new services. 

Home control and home automation are very real results of these kind of strategies. Comcast executive, Mitch Bowling, discusses one of its home control products that allows the user to set thermostats and turn lights on and off remotely. These new services can serve to literally change the way one lives in one's home. 

Home healthcare is a major opportunity for these companies. Using networks already in existence, one could, theoretically, provide a connection between a patient at home and his or her doctor in the hospital. Possibilities include videochat between doctor and patient and biometric monitoring services that allow doctors to receive real-time patient data remotely.
 

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