Leading computing and communications companies announced the formation of an alliance to help deliver easy-to-use, affordable, high-speed home networking solutions over existing telephone wires at the recent Californian Digital Living Room Conference. The group, Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA), includes founding members 3Com, AMD, AT&T Wireless, Compaq, Epigram, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Lucent Technologies, Rockwell Semiconductor Systems and Tut Systems.
HomePNA`s immediate mission is to accelerate the development and marketplace introduction of a home networking specification with member products expected to be available by the end of 1998.
"In the business world, the real power of the PC revolution was unleashed only when PCs were networked together. The goal of HomePNA is to extend that revolution into the home," says Rod Schrock, vice president and general manager Consumer Products Group, Compaq Computer Corporation. "Since most households don`t have a system administrator, a successful home networking specification has to be simple, foolproof, and inexpensive. The members of HomePNA have stepped up to that challenge."
According to Dataquest, more than 15 million homes in the U.S. have two or more PCs and analysts expect this number to double over the next two years. Nearly one in two home PCs access the Internet regularly according to Ziff-Davis Market Intelligence.
Jupiter Communications projects that in addition to PCs, more than 15 million information appliance products will be purchased in the next five years. The need to share Internet access, digital information and computing resources among PCs and other information appliances will spark consumer demand for a home networking solution.
"This Alliance has really done its homework, bringing together industry leaders representing all facets of the home PC and networking space," says John Coons, director/principal analyst, Dataquest. "As a result, consumers can implement solutions quickly and with confidence that these solutions will still be around tomorrow."
Benefits of home phoneline-based networks
- A simple, cost-effective and proven solution for consumers that requires no costly or disruptive rewiring of the home, the phoneline network utilises existing telephone wiring to connect computers and devices without interrupting phone service.
- Home phoneline networking will work with existing Internet access technologies, such as V.90, ADSL or cable modems.
Key applications enabled by home networking include shared Internet access, shared data and applications, shared peripherals (printers, scanners, modems, digital cameras, storage devices, etc.) and multi-player gaming.
HomePNA will develop specification for creation of industry-wide standards The HomePNA has adopted innovative and proven networking technology from Tut Systems that allows home networks to operate over common telephone wires at 1 Mbit/s.
The HomePNA will promote this technology as an open reference specification for all vendors to implement and will publish these specifications in the third quarter of 1998.
The HomePNA is also working together to develop future specifications already under development for even higher speed home phoneline networks. Building upon the 1 Mbit/s network specification, the second generation of high speed home networks is targeted at 10 Mbit/s and more and is expected to be available mid 1999. It will be scalable, backward compatible, and interoperable, allowing for simultaneous communication of voice, video and data.
To promote the proliferation of these solutions, HomePNA will provide field certification and interoperability test suites and will serve as a forum for technological and consumer issues. Certified products will be eligible to use the HomePNA brand logo and marketing programs. HomePNA will work closely with industry standards committees, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for submission and adoption of the specifications as the industry standard.
Companies interested in adopting the home phoneline networking specifications for use in their own home networking offerings are encouraged to join the Alliance. Additional information about the Alliance is available at www.homepna.org.
About the Home Phoneline Networking Alliance
The Home Phoneline Networking Alliance is an association of industry-leading companies working together to help ensure adoption of a single, unified phoneline networking industry standard and rapidly bring to market a range of interoperable home networking solutions.
Founding members include: 3Com, AMD, AT&T Wireless, Compaq, Epigram, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Lucent Technologies, Rockwell Semiconductor Systems and Tut Systems.
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