As offerings have evolved to include multiple services [voice and data] operators have increasingly given consumers the opportunity to rent or buy additional devices like access modems, internet gateways and video extenders that enable them to access multiple services, and distribute them to a range of consumer electronics devices in the home.
The development of this technology was led by Pay TV operators looking for a way to deliver video services via both traditional broadcast and broadband IP networks.
The virtual gateway concept enables consumers to access video and data services and distribute them around their homes using software rather than hardware.
[7] A subscriber unit, or SU is a broadband radio that is installed at a business or residential location to connect to an access point to send/receive high speed data wired or wirelessly.
Devices commonly referred to as a subscriber unit include cable modems, access gateways, home networking adapters and mobile phones.
This includes any customer-owned hardware at the customer's site: routers, firewalls, network switches, PBXs, VoIP gateways, sometimes CSU/DSU and modems.