HomePlug Alliance Announces Netricity Powerline Communications Targeting Smart Meter to Grid Applications

World's Leading Powerline Communications Group Launches Compliance and Interoperability Program for IEEE 1901.2 Standard

Portland, Ore. - OCTOBER 5, 2011 - The HomePlug® Powerline Alliance (www.homeplug.org), the world's leading industry group for powerline communications, today announced the launch of a new certification and marketing program, Netricity Powerline Communications (PLC). The program will promote adoption and provide compliance and interoperability testing of products built on the IEEE 1901.2 Low-Frequency Narrow-Band PLC standard (http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/1901/2/).

Netricity PLC will operate in low frequency bands that make it ideal for grid-to-utility meter and other long range, outside-the-home applications. Lighting and solar panel powerline communications are also potential uses for Netricity PLC. The technology will address requirements that assure communication privacy and secure networks. Netricity PLC will complement and coexist with HomePlug's family of high speed networking specifications, HomePlug AV, HomePlug Green PHY, and the forthcoming HomePlug AV2.

The IEEE 1901.2 standard is built on two field-proven OFDM technologies, PRIME and G3, which have been already chosen by some of the world's largest energy providers including IBERDROLA and ERDF for Smart Meter to the Grid communication. This enables Netricity PLC to deliver a new benchmark of performance and reliability with support for IP (Internet Protocol) standard communications.

"Our goal with Netricity PLC is to provide customers such as utility and energy companies the foundation of a global standard with a competitive ecosystem of certified products from many vendors", said Rob Ranck, president of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. "Netricity PLC extends the member contributions of the HomePlug Alliance to cover all key markets for powerline communications."

To learn more about Netricity PLC, interested parties are invited to attend the 2011 HomePlug Powerline Alliance conference, November 8-9 in San Francisco. Further details are available at www.homeplug.org/conference.

About the HomePlug® Powerline Alliance
The HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc. (www.homeplug.org) is an industry-led initiative with 65 member companies that creates specifications, marketing and certification programs to accelerate worldwide adoption of powerline networking with HomePlug technology. With HomePlug technology, the electrical wires in the home can now distribute broadband Internet, HD video, digital music and smart energy applications.

The Alliance works with key stakeholders to ensure HomePlug specifications are designed to meet the requirements of IPTV service providers, power utilities, equipment and appliance manufacturers, consumer electronics and other constituents. The HomePlug Certified Logo program is the powerline networking industry's largest Compliance and Interoperability Certification Program with more than 250 different certified devices.

Sponsor members include Broadcom Corporation (BRCM); Cisco (CSCO); Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK); GE Energy, an affiliate of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE); Qualcomm Atheros, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated; Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723); SPiDCOM Technologies; and STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM).

"HomePlug" and "Netricity" are trademarks of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

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