HomePlug® Introduces The Industy's First High-Speed Powerline Home Networking Specification

1.0 Specification Empowers Alliance Member Companies to Enable the Connected Home via Existing Home Power Outlets

26 Jun 2001

SAN RAMON, Calif., June 26, 2001 - The HomePlug® Powerline Alliance, an industry consortium established to provide a forum for the development of an open specification of home powerline networking products and services, today announces the completion and release of its much-anticipated first generation high-speed powerline networking specification. Through the release of the HomePlug 1.0 specification, the Alliance provides its membership with a robust, field proven industry specification upon which HomePlug member companies will build compatible products to enable the connected home.

The publication of HomePlug's 14Mbps specification provides the powerline networking roadmap upon which Alliance members will be able to develop interoperable products that will allow PCs, peripherals and other information appliances to connect via every home power outlet. HomePlug compliant products will be available to consumers beginning in the Fall of 2001.

“Since April 2000, HomePlug has grown to include 90 industry leaders, who each have lent the direction, strategy and technology necessary to drive the Alliance to meet our aggressive schedule for releasing this specification,” said Alberto Mantovani, HomePlug president and division director, small business and consumer networking within Conexant Systems, Inc.'s, Personal Computing Division. “The release of the HomePlug 1.0 specification demonstrates the Alliance has laid the groundwork for achieving its mission to create cost-effective, interoperable home powerline networks and products.”

Prior to the market release of the 1.0 specification, HomePlug conducted comprehensive field trials in more than 500 homes, and nearly 10,000 wiring paths throughout the U.S. and Canada. The field trials indicated that the specification meets regulatory, interoperability, performance, non-interference, reliability, scalability and diagnostic and maintenance prerequisites outlined in the HomePlug Market Requirements Document (MRD). The specification performed to all MRD benchmarks, including node-to-node file transfer, multi-node file transfer, VoIP and streaming media, making it the basis for developing HomePlug compliant products and services.

“The release of HomePlug's first generation home networking specification is an important milestone in the evolution of powerline home networking,” said Mike Wolf, director of enterprise and residential communications for Cahners In-Stat. “The wide spread support of HomePlug, as illustrated by the commitment of finances and time demonstrated by the member companies, establishes HomePlug as the preeminent standard for powerline networking in the connected home.”

Filed: Jun 2001, Launches, Powerline Networking, Press, Co: Conexant, HomePlug, NETGEAR, Tech: HomePlug 1.0