Where does Powerline Networking go from here?
Two powerful market forces are converging to drive the implementation of effective home networking; high bandwidth consumer applications and the urgent need to develop the smart grid. Both require an effective home network with high QoS for consumer applications (HDTV, IPTV, gaming) and high reliability for smart grid applications. While local area networks in commercial buildings and campuses are ubiquitous with mature standards in place (IEEE 802.3X and IEEE 802.11X), home networking has been characterized as a mix of competing interests and standards that have held back the widespread implementation of a robust home networking topology. That picture is now getting much clearer. Powerline networking is emerging as the backbone for home networks allowing any device to be connected wherever there is a power outlet in the home. HomePlug is the only powerline technology that is positioned to meet this need due to several factors. HomePlug accounts for about 85 percent of the worldwide in
