Media Contact:
Megan Novak Shockney
The Ardell Group for HomePlug
(858) 442-3492
megan@ardellgroup.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
HomePlug® Certifies Products Based On Newly Ratified
IEEE 1901 Powerline Networking Standard
HomePlug Will Test New IEEE 1901-Based Powerline Products to Ensure Multi-Vendor Interoperability
Portland, Ore. – October 18, 2010 – The HomePlug® Powerline Alliance, the leading industry
group promoting adoption of powerline home networking products, today announced that it has
enhanced the HomePlug AV certification program to include products based on the recently
ratified IEEE 1901 powerline standard. Finalization of this global standard is a major milestone for
powerline networking and will help unify and stabilize the industry as did previous IEEE standards
for networking (IEEE 802.11 for wireless LAN and IEEE 802.3 for Ethernet).
The HomePlug Powerline Alliance operates the world’s premier powerline compliance and
interoperability certification program and has certified over 215 HomePlug products to date.
Under the enhanced testing program, HomePlug member companies can submit products for
certification to the newly finalized standard. HomePlug AV testing is currently conducted at the
facilities of Laboratoire des Applications Numériques (LAN) in France.
IEEE 1901: A Global Powerline Standard
The IEEE-SA Standards Board approved IEEE 1901 on September 30, 2010. IEEE 1901
incorporates the HomePlug AV Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical (PHY) layers as a
baseline. “The 1901 standard is designed to accommodate a wide range of major applications for
powerline communications (PLC), including in-home broadband networks for data, audio and
video distribution, Smart Energy and Smart Grid, and plug-in electrical vehicles. IEEE is pleased
to see the new standard supported by a HomePlug certification program for compliance and
interoperability,” said Jean-Philippe Faure, chair of the IEEE 1901 working group.
“The IEEE is well known as the foremost standards body for networking, and HomePlug has a
mature and well-developed testing plan for HomePlug AV,” said Rob Ranck, president of the
HomePlug Powerline Alliance. “We believe that developing a compliance and interoperability plan
to certify our members’ products to a ratified, global powerline standard from the IEEE not only
maintains continuity with the large base of HomePlug AV products but will also increase the
momentum of HomePlug-based product deployments. Furthermore, this assures retail and
service providers that the baseline technology is stable and also encourages the development of
new products and services necessary to meet the rapidly growing needs of the connected home.
In summary, IEEE 1901 is yet more validation of the market proven HomePlug AV.”
HomePlug’s Powerline Technology Ecosystem
IEEE 1901 is fully interoperable with the HomePlug AV broadband specification, the new
HomePlug “Green PHY” (GP) specification for Smart Energy/Smart Grid applications, and the
forthcoming HomePlug AV2 broadband specification due for completion in Q1 2011. HomePlug’s
family of interoperable technology specifications covers the spectrum of home networking
demands and offers a migration path to the future while protecting the installed base of over 60
million HomePlug devices, the vast majority of installed powerline products.
Please visit www.HomePlug.org for more information on the HomePlug Powerline Alliance.
Additional details on the IEEE 1901 standard are available at
http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/1901/. Specifications will be available from the IEEE stores for
purchase by mid-January.
About the HomePlug® Powerline Alliance
Founded in 2000, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc. is an industry-led initiative with 70
member companies that creates specifications and certification logo programs for using the
power lines for reliable home networking and Smart Grid applications. The Alliance accelerates
worldwide adoption for HomePlug technology by collaborating with international standards
organizations such as the IEEE and through market development and user education programs.
Sponsor members include Atheros Communications (ATHR); Cisco (CSCO); Comcast (CMCSK);
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK); GE Energy, an affiliate of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE); Gigle
Networks; Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723); SPiDCOM Technologies; and
STMicroelectronics (STM). Contributor members include Arkados (OTCBB: AKDS) and
Corporate Systems Engineering.
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