MoCA and the HomePlug Powerline Alliance said they have now formally agreed to work together.
The number of home networking protocols both wired and wireless, both extant and proposed, is growing in number. Most major service providers the world over are mired in the process of evaluating their options. Having the advocates for each cooperating can only help dispel some of the confusion about which protocols are appropriate under which circumstances.
The Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) and the HomePlug Powerline Alliance said they will coordinate efforts in educational and informational programs and activities that promote new multimedia applications and the benefits of home networking.
“For home networking to become truly pervasive, multiple coexisting wired and wireless technologies are essential, and this agreement moves the industry a step closer to that goal,” said Rob Ranck, president of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. “By establishing a formal relationship, HomePlug and MoCA will be able to work more closely together to create the best possible user experience for consumers and operators. Our two alliances are the only organizations in the wired home networking industry whose next-generation specifications will be backward compatible and interoperable with MoCA 1.0/1.1 and HomePlug AV.”
Each organization is currently developing its own next-generation specification, respectively designated as MoCA 2.0 and HomePlug AV2, to offer Gigabit-class service with full backward interoperability to their widely deployed technology bases.
Furthermore, HomePlug is developing its new Green PHY spec for Smart Grid applications. All specs are slated for completion in 2010. MoCA, leveraging its existing installed base of coax in the home, is also pursuing incorporation into the Smart Grid interoperability guidelines.
