The HomePlug Powerline Alliance Charts Smart Grid Technology Path

PORTLAND, Ore.--(Business Wire)--
The HomePlug® Powerline Alliance today announced a technology path for Smart
Grid (intelligent energy networks), an infrastructure-critical market poised for
rapid growth. The Alliance has completed its Market Requirements Document (MRD)
for HomePlug Smart Energy. The MRD will guide the development of new HomePlug
specifications, creating a new class of powerline communications products that
offer lower cost, low power consumption while also being fully interoperable
with the current HomePlug AV standard and the forthcoming IEEE 1901 standard -
at data rates tailored to meet the anticipated future requirements of smart
energy management. This will allow utilities, electricity meter manufacturers
and product manufacturers to future proof Smart Grid networks based on
HomePlug/IEEE technology.

The Alliance members believe HomePlug powerline technology will play an
increasingly important role in achieving a standards-based Smart Grid
infrastructure that is more efficient and reliable. The demand for reduced
energy consumption, combined with utility company initiatives, legislative
mandates and government funding is expected to drive rapid growth in this
sector. In fact, the installed base of smart meters is expected to grow to
greater than 170 million units worldwide by 2014, according to the ABI Research
"Advanced Metering Infrastructure" report published in March 2009. The HomePlug
Command & Control (C&C) and HomePlug 1.0 technologies are already being deployed
in Smart Meter networks around the world. HomePlug C&C is co-existent with other
HomePlug technologies and, in combination with those, will help provide a
flexible solution for powerline communications needs.

The Alliance believes that the fastest and most cost-effective technology path
to fulfilling all requirements for Smart Energy is to leverage carrier-proven,
widely deployed HomePlug powerline technology. HomePlug AV products have shipped
in volume over the past three years and have been tested, accepted and launched
by carriers and OEMs to millions of satisfied home networking users around the
world. This same technology helps to provide a baseline for a reliable
technology that reaches from the electricity meter to many other electric
devices in the home, forming a Home Area Network (HAN).

The Alliance also believes that worldwide standards are critical to wide
adoption and continue to work closely with the IEEE P1901 Working Group. As a
result of this work, HomePlug AV technology is fully interoperable with the
baseline standard developed by P1901. There are already multiple IC suppliers of
HomePlug AV technology competing in the market with aggressive cost and feature
roadmaps. The HomePlug certification logo program, combined with IEEE
international standardization, provides a solid base for interoperability and
technology stability that is required for "future proofing."

About the HomePlug Powerline Alliance

Founded in 2000, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc. is an industry-led
initiative with more than 70 member companies that creates specifications and
certification logo programs for using the powerlines for reliable home
networking and smart grid applications. The Alliance accelerates worldwide
adoption for HomePlug technology by collaborating with international standards
organizations such as IEEE and through market development and user education
programs. Sponsor members include Cisco (CSCO); Comcast (CMCSK); GE Energy, an
affiliate of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE); Gigle Semiconductor; Intellon
Corporation (ITLN); Intel Corporation (INTC); Motorola (MOT); NEC Electronics
Corporation (TSE: 6723); and SPiDCOM Technologies. Contributor members include
Arkados (OTCBB: AKDS), Corporate Systems Engineering, Renesas Technology Corp.,
Texas Instruments Incorporated (NYSE:TXN) and Yitran Communications Ltd.

HomePlug is a registered trademark of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc. All
other trademarks, trade names and service marks mentioned and/or used belong to
their respective owners.

The Ardell Group for HomePlug
Megan Novak Shockney, +1-858-442-3492
megan@ardellgroup.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009