Speedier Home Networks

Home networking is about to move 10 times faster. The Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA) announced that it is working on a second generation system that will move data at 10 Mbps (megabits per second), a quantum leap over the original 1 Mbps spec released in the fall of 1998.HomePNA's technology allows computers, peripherals and other devices to connect with each other and the Internet without interrupting standard telephone service. And because it uses current phone wiring, it doesn't require costly rewiring of the home. The HomePNA is comprised of 97 companies, including some of the largest PC and PC peripheral firms, such as Compaq, Hewlett Packard and IBM.HomePNA chose a proposal submitted by Epigram, a subsidiary of Broadcom, and Lucent Technologies Microelectronics Group, as the basis for its 2.0 specification. When completed, the HomePNA Specification 2.0 will deliver a 10 Mbps data rate for home phoneline networking while maintaining full backward compatibility and interoperability with existing HomePNA 1 Mbps technology. HomePNA expects to complete the 2.0 specification in the second half of 1999. Products will follow soon thereafter.