The Universal Powerline Association (UPA) and the HomeGrid Forum signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the joint research, development and commercialization of networking technologies and products ensuring coexistence, interoperability and spec compliance.

UPA
is an industry consortium for the development of interoperable and open
specs to cover all powerline markets and applications. Last year, it
began developing PowerMAX, its next generation spec process for
400Mbps+ powerline communications networking. The HomeGrid Forum is a
non-profit trade group promoting International Telecommunication
Union’s Standardization Sector (ITU-T) G.hn standardization efforts for
multimedia over coax, power and phone lines.



Under
the multi-year MoU, UPA and HomeGrid Forum commit to cooperating to
create a single MAC and PHY protocol for transporting multimedia across
a home’s existing wiring. In December 2008, the G.hn Standard Group
reached consent on a single PHY protocol for next generation wireline
technologies.



UPA and HomeGrid Forum will conduct activities in the areas of:



• Researching and developing compliance and interoperability tools.

• Test
processes and procedures for developing coexistence and compatibility
between UPA-based powerline technologies and other wired technologies.

•
R&D of coexistence mechanisms that enable both compatibility
between multiple wired technologies, and multiple in-home wired and
access technologies.

• Joint marketing of UPA- and HomeGrid-based networking technologies.



“This
alliance will combine the technical and marketing capabilities of both
organizations and its international members allowing the ability to
successfully meet market challenges and to further enhance
interoperable and coexistent networking technologies for the benefit of
consumers worldwide,” said Daniel Drolet, UPA chair. “UPA sees the
HomeGrid Forum as an excellent catalyst to driving a single standard
for the next generation home network and we are happy to contribute to
that effort.”



Intel
Corp.’s Matt Theall, president of the HomeGrid Forum, says the forum’s
of a single spec and standard for 1 Gbps home networking on all
wires—coax, electrical and phone lines—will greatly benefit from UPA’s
contributions, “given their broad experience and worldwide deployments
of powerline and coaxial networking devices”.


CLICK HERE to visit the Universal Powerline Association



CLICK HERE to visit the HomeGrid Forum.