How 3G & 4G Networks could change AV completely

I just received an email with information on a Digital Signage solution I hadn’t come across before. The company is called Internet Connectivity Group (I know, kind of corny) or I.C.G. Their solution allows pretty much anyone to setup a digital signage network with just a few components. The real innovation however in how they are approaching digital signage is how they approach the networking side of things. There are NO CABLES required. You do not need to hook in to a local network. Instead, their system is connected through the ever growing 3G & 4G networks available from companies like Sprint & AT&T. How cool! What’s even more interesting however is the thought of what is to come in the AV world with regards to these types of cellular and wireless networks.

So here is the question. How long until 3G and 4G and WiMax wireless networks are so powerful and all penetrating that devices no longer need wires or cables? Things like displays, DSP’s, speakers, source devices and everything else you can think of. Isn’t it then just a matter of the software and programming to make everything work together? What happens when a customer can buy any number of AV devices, plug them in, and then buy a universal Crestron remote that automatically recognizes the devices through a sort of mesh network and automatically programs itself?

2 years? 3 years? 5 at the most?

I’m sure wires won’t be eliminated altogether for a long time, but it is interesting to think what many clients will do with “Good enough” solutions out of a box and how that will affect “Traditional AV” firms business models.

Here is a handy diagram showing you how their digital signage solution works: