Deutsche Telekom is warning the European operator community that it faces threats from international rivals in the smart home. Conveniently, DT already has a platform that would provide some European unity, called Qivicon – which it has recently expanded with the addition of DECT ULE, on top of ZigBee and HomeMatic. The addition of the protocol is a welcome step towards expanding the technological capabilities of the growing smart home platform. DECT Ultra Low Energy (ULE) is an evolution of the DECT cordless phone protocol, which has licensed spectrum that should provide interference-free usage. The star protocol can transport voice and even low-frame-rate video, and has a range that can reach 50-meters indoors and 300-meters outside. If needed, repeaters can…