HomePlug Alliance finalizing broadband spec

The HomePlug Powerline Alliance has chosen the baseline technology for its new Broadband over Powerline specification, which is designed to help network digital devices within the home and extend the reach of broadband services.

By agreeing on a specification, the alliance hopes to speed the development and deployment of powerline networking technologies to enable consumers to connect PCs and broadband network connections with TVs, set-tops and other entertainment and monitoring devices.

HomePlug chose the MAC and PHY technology of HomePlug AV, a 200 Mbps class powerline networking technology developed through a competitive process that involved lab tests and field trials of multiple powerline solutions. The HomePlug Alliance combined the best of the technology test to create HomePlug AV, building on primary contributions from Arkados, Conexant Systems, Intellon Corporation and Sharp.

According to HomePlug Alliance officials, the new standard meets requirements for throughput and for robust performance and good coverage over noisy powerline channels. It features the Quality of Service and low latency requirements for carrying Voice over Internet Protocol and other latency-sensitive applications, and it is compatible with HomePlug 1.0, the previous standard.