Power Line Communication (HD-PLC) Earns DLNA Certification

For a long time, Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) has maintained its strategy of building industry collaboration to develop standard-based guidelines for the home network. As a non-profit collaborative trade organization, it has established and maintained an interoperable platform based on open industry standards, in order to realize content sharing on wired and wireless networks.

A certification by DLNA ensures that a device or a technology is tested and has met the requirements of the DLNA Interoperability Guidelines. In this regard, Panasonic Corporation announced in a press release that its High Definition Power Line Communication (HD-PLC, also referred as IEEE (News - Alert) 1901 standard) technology has been certified by the DLNA as a standard communication method that is consistent with the DLNA Guidelines.

Since 2011, Panasonic (News - Alert) and its subsidiary Panasonic System Networks Co., Ltd. have licensed HD-PLC technologies.

In December 2010, the specifications for HD-PLC were issued as an IEEE 1901 standard, which designates a mechanism’s coexistence among different PLC technologies, apart from specifying low layers (MAC and PHY) for high-speed communications over power lines.

According to the source, the IEEE 1901 coexistence mechanism was also issued as the ITU-T G.9972 standard. Products compliant with these standards are certified by HD-PLC Alliance, an organization that ensures intercommunication capabilities among PLC products.

Officials with Panasonic said in a press release that the addition of the IEEE 1901 standard (HD-PLC) will now enable consumers to easily enjoy intercommunication and data sharing services between DLNA-compliant devices on a home network using existing electrical power lines, such as TVs, AV equipment, personal computers, game machines and networked data storage devices.

Communication standards that are currently certified by the DLNA Guidelines include: IEEE 802.3 wired LAN (Ethernet) and IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN (Wi-Fi).

Officials with Panasonic also hope the company continues to ensure intercommunication capability between DLNA compatible products, and promote the adoption of the IEEE 1901 international standard and products that support it.