Broadcom Releases Software for Cable

Broadcom Corp., the Irvine-based chip maker, continued to round out its cable product line Monday, releasing a software program that allows people to make phone calls over their cable lines.

The CablexChange software line, which works with Broadcom’s modem chips, allows telecommunication and cable companies to offer voice--as well as fax and data--applications over the Internet.

Amid the high-tech world’s move to bring broad-band services to consumers, there is a huge push to use a cable company’s networks to provide telephone service. AT&T;, the nation’s leading provider of consumer long-distance services, has launched a strategy to use cable networks to deliver local phone service. And Sprint and MCI have strong long-distance offerings and new wireless cable technology that could compete with AT&T.;