Exclusive Interview: Richard Barrett, Director of Wireless Connectivity At Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom’s product seamlessly deliver voice, video, data and multimedia connectivity in the home, office and mobile environments. With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and embedded software solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by Connecting everything.

Last week, Broadcom announced its Automotive Bluetooth Software Stack for Seamless In-car Android Connectivity. Droid Report recently interviewed Richard Barrett about his current role at Broadcom, the changes in wireless connectivity today, insights on wireless, mobile and business, and the company’s upcoming plans for FY 2014.

Richard Barrett, Director of Wireless Connectivity at Broadcom

Droid Report: Hello Richard, Broadcom is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Can you tell us more about your role as the Director of Wireless Connectivity and some insight on the company’s upcoming wireless connectivity initiatives for 2014?

Richard Barrett: My role at Broadcom is focused on bringing our technical prowess and expertise in wireless connectivity to the automotive industry. Earlier this year we introduced the industry’s first 5G WiFi (802.11ac) and Bluetooth smart combo chip, optimized for use in automotive applications. These chips allow drivers and passengers to easily sync and stream content from mobile devices to the car's infotainment system and rear-seat displays. The new chips also enable high-speed connectivity beyond the vehicle, serving Internet and cloud content via LTE telematics or directly from a Hot Spot connection.

This year we plan to expand our portfolio to meet increasing demand for in-car GNSS and NFC technology. By providing a complete portfolio of wireless connectivity solutions, Broadcom is paving the way for in-vehicle high-speed connectivity and content streaming.

Droid Report: Last week Broadcom announced Automotive Bluetooth Software Stack for Seamless In-car Android Connectivity which provides on-the-road, end-to-end Interoperability with Android Devices. You recently stated, "The choice of in-vehicle technology is becoming more important as consumer demand for seamless mobile and wearable device connectivity continues to rise. Auto makers and tier one suppliers are looking for robust, feature-rich and flexible operating systems that are relatively painless and easy to deploy,""Our Android Automotive Bluetooth software combines Broadcom's proven expertise in software development and widely deployed wireless connectivity with high performance profiles optimized for use in the evolving automotive environment." Quality and performance is placing demand in the automotive industry for In-car Android Connectivity, how do you see in-vehicle technology evolving against other competition within the market?

Richard Barrett: Consumers today demand ease of connectivity with their mobile devices and Android, with approximately 80% market share of the world’s devices, is vital. However, a single car can potentially host multiple operating systems – one for the head unit and navigation, another for the telematics system and hands-free interface for mobile phones, and yet another for the rear-seat entertainment system. At Broadcom, we know it’s important to support a vast spectrum of operating systems including QNX, iOS, Linux, Microsoft and Real Time Operating System (RTOS) and we design our software to adapt to each environment.

Droid Report: How do you see Broadcom’s view with the opportunities in connected car to the automotive market?

Richard Barrett: The automotive market represents a huge opportunity for semiconductor companies as evidenced by Strategy Analytics recent report that estimates the market to reach $39B by 2020. Broadcom envisions the car as the next frontier and platform for intelligent connectivity and is partnering with leading automakers and tier one suppliers to drive continued innovation in automotive.

Droid Report: How do you feel about The Internet of Things (IoT) impact on consumer electronics?

Richard Barrett: The diversity of IoT applications is staggering, ranging from smart consumer products to devices that monitor health and behavior. The development of IoT applications and wearable devices are being driven largely by innovations in wireless technologies; namely Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Smart, Near Field Communications (NFC), and GPS. Ongoing innovation in process and power requirements will further enable manufacturers to introduce IoT products and wearables with ever more functionality and mass appeal.

Droid Report: What do you think of data privacy challenges in relation to the connected car?

Richard Barrett: As the connected car evolves, so do concerns about network security. By leveraging automotive Ethernet, such as Broadcom’s BroadR-Reach® technology, as the car’s network backbone, network security features such as device/message authentication and message encryption protect the car from malicious attacks, eavesdropping and the installation of non-service-approved devices.

Deployment of low-cost Automotive Ethernet also means that high-end features such as infotainment and advanced driver assistance system features like surround-view parking, rear-view cameras and lane departure warning can be deployed in a much broader range of vehicles – beyond the luxury class.

Droid Report: With the rise in consumer adoption, what are your thoughts consumers demanding higher standards?

Richard Barrett: Consumer demand for on-the-road, anytime, anywhere connectivity is on the rise, particularly when it comes to Gen Y consumers. Car connectivity, advanced driver safety and infotainment features are moving beyond the luxury class and are fast becoming the new battleground for product differentiation.

In-car Wi-Fi in particular is a game changer. Software upgrades and new features can be pushed directly to the vehicle via your home network while your car rests in the garage. Drivers can use a smart mobile device to check remotely on their car's location, gas levels and mileage—and that same device can receive alerts on vehicle performance and diagnostics. Wi-Fi technology also enables seamless streaming of content from mobile devices to the car's infotainment system and rear-seat display.

Droid Report: How is Broadcom dealing with such challenges?

Richard Barrett: Broadcom views increasing consumer demand for anytime, anywhere connectivity as an opportunity versus a challenge. Our vision for the company has always been “connecting everything” and today that vision is becoming a reality. Our solutions are so pervasive in consumer devices and throughout the network, we estimate that 98.99% of all data traffic crosses a Broadcom chip.

Droid Report: The connected car is a key trend going into the forthcoming CES, what other key trends do you see?

Richard Barrett: IoT and wearable devices will definitely play a central role at CES, as will streaming content and Ultra HD (4K technology). With Ultra HD prices continuing to drop and a range of display sizes to better fit the average living room, the technology is becoming more attainable to the average consumer. By leveraging the HEVC/H.265 video compression standard ratified in 2013, global operators and service providers will be able to deliver 4K content more easily and efficiently, or leverage the bandwidth for increased HD programming.

Droid Report: Is there anything else you feel Android users and the Android market should know?

Richard Barrett: Android consumers will expect the same level of performance, features and application diversity in their car's infotainment system as they do in their much less expensive tablets and smartphones. This is a huge challenge for the automotive industry given the much longer development cycles and product lifetimes. Automotive electronics developers will need to plan ahead and select the latest hardware, such as Bluetooth Smart, 5G WiFi and 4G LTE, so their infotainment platform remains technically relevant 10 years or more. Modular hardware approaches should also be considered to allow easier future upgrades to the latest technology.

From an applications perspective there are definite challenges to meet automotive security, safety and minimization of driver distraction. The applications community should look at this as an opportunity to create new ecosystems and leverage the power of open system architecture to drive the future of intelligent, always connected ... And eventually autonomous vehicles.

We would like to thank Richard Barrett for taking the time for this discussion and Broadcom.