ITU-T Ratifies G.hn Standard for Wired Home Networking

New Standard Opens Door for a Unified Home Network, First Silicon Expected in Early 2010

GENEVA — HomeGrid Forum today announced that International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) has successfully agreed upon the key components of the G.hn specification at its meeting held at the United Nations in Geneva. As a result of this agreement, ITU-T will publish an Approved G.hn Recommendation for the Physical Layer (PHY) and architecture portion of the standard. Also, Recommendation G.9972 achieved Consent, allowing coexistence between G.hn products and other wireline networking standards. In addition, the Data Link Layer (DLL) portion of the G.hn standard was deemed stable and is expected to reach Consent at the January 2010 ITU-T meeting. Through one worldwide standard, G.hn will unify the networking of content to devices over any wire — coax cable, phone line, and power line.

This standard is now stable enough to allow silicon manufacturers to confidently move forward with their development programs and bring products to market. The outcome of this meeting marks another step in the steady adoption of G.hn and reaffirms the desire to unite a fragmented industry which currently uses a variety of incompatible technologies that typically address only single types of household wiring options — coax, phone line, or power line.

“G.hn will empower service providers to deploy new offerings, including IPTV, more cost effectively; allow consumer electronics manufacturers to network all types of entertainment, home automation, and security products throughout the house; and greatly simplify consumers purchasing and installation processes,” said Matthew Theall, president of HomeGrid Forum. “HomeGrid Forum and its member companies applaud the ITU-T for its success in developing a standard that will greatly simplify home networking, provide a platform for new services, and deliver the next-generation performance needed in the marketplace.”

“BT fully supports the G.hn standard because it will enable us to enhance our customers’ experiences and the services we offer — services that connect people more effectively with content throughout their homes,” said Bob Bissell, chief customer environment strategist at BT, and HomeGrid Forum board member. “We are very pleased with the rapid progress made by ITU-T on the G.hn standard, and look forward to working with network equipment manufacturers, HomeGrid Forum, and others in the industry to promote and bring this new standard-based technology to market.”

“The G.hn Recommendation provides a unified, international specification for home networking via all types of wiring in homes,” said Tom Starr, ITU-T WP1/15 chairman. “The specification facilitates simplified installation and operation for high-performance triple-play services.”

In addition to G.hn, ITU-T gave Consent to the complementary G.9972 Recommendation for coexistence between G.hn-based products and other networking standards. Recommendation G.9972 specifies the process by which G.hn devices will coexist with power line devices that also adopt the G.9972 coexistence standard.

“G.hn is a technology that gives new use to cabling that most people already have in their homes. The array of applications that it has the potential to enable includes energy efficient smart appliances, home automation, and telemedicine devices is remarkable,” said Malcolm Johnson, director, ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau. “The sheer weight of industry support behind this innovation is testament to the extraordinary potential of this standard to transform home networking.”

HomeGrid Forum is also developing a certification program for G.hn that will aid semiconductor and systems manufacturers to build and deliver standards-compliant products to market by using the HomeGrid-certified logo.