Ieee1901
Latest
HomePlug Alliance AV2 specification promises gigabit class networking over electrical wires
It's been a long time coming, but the Homeplug Powerline Alliance is introducing a new class of home networking technology known as AV2, which is meant to better facilitate HD content transmission over electrical wiring. With MIMO functionality (multiple-input and multiple-output) at its core, the new specification features gigabit class speeds and comes from a decade of field tests. What's more, the new standard promises to bring greater in-home coverage beyond WiFi capabilities while maintaining compatibility with existing HomePlug AV / IEEE 1901 products. Whether consumers are willing to embrace yet another new specification from the HomePlug group remains to be seen, although we can imagine a few Netflix junkies will be downright giddy. For the complete deets, the PR follows the break.
HomePlug fires back with powerline IEEE P1901 Draft Standard adoption
Highly variable real-world performance aside, the lack of a well-defined standard for powerline networking isn't helping the technology take off; but sticking consumers between the warring G.hn and HomePlug AV factions doesn't help anybody. In the latest round of the fight, the IEEE P1901 reached Draft Standard acceptance, and -- wouldn't you know it -- the onus of coming up with compliance and interoperability testing for products will fall upon the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. Just to raise the stakes, the Draft Standard is aiming for backward compatibility with existing devices. Sounds like herding cats to us, but with finalization of the Standard slated for 2010, it looks like things are going to heat up in the coming months.
