Q&A: MoCA and HomePlug Liaison Announcement

1. What does this mean to the industry?
   This liaison agreement is intended to develop closer ties between the two organizations for promoting and growing the market for both of our members’ products and services.
   
   The two organizations have more than 120 member companies between them, so we have critical mass and influence in the industry.
   

2. What impact will this have on operators and service providers?
   This liaison agreement is expected to provide service providers with the confidence to deploy their networks using either or both technology standards. They can now rest assured that technology and market coexistence is assured by a formal arrangement.
   

3. What impact will this have on the consumer?
   During 2010, the two organizations will be coordinating efforts in educational and informational programs and activities that promote the features and benefits of wired home networking (e.g., conveying IP based multimedia and applications).
   

4. Will the organizations share intellectual property?
   No.
   This liaison agreement includes provisions that facilitate each organization’s ability to view copyrighted materials (such as specifications) of the other organization.
   

5. Will any of the chip vendors provide silicon integrating both technologies? Will OEMs be offering hybrid/integrated boxes?
   Product decisions are made by the individual chip and product companies and are outside the scope of the alliances.
   

6. What role will wireless technologies like Wi Fi play in the home network?
   Both MoCA and HomePlug are complementary and coexisting technologies to Wi Fi. Either MoCA or HomePlug technology can serve as a backbone in the home network extending the reach of Wi Fi to areas with poor signal propagation.
   

7. What are the implications for ITU’s G.hn effort?
   Both HomePlug and MoCA are established standards with a combined adoption of tens of millions, and soon to be hundreds of millions, of certified and interoperable devices in the field. G.hn is not yet fully ratified and as such, probably will not be available in multiple, shipping interoperable products until 2011 or 2012.
   
   Also, both HomePlug and MoCA will complete their respective next generation specifications by mid-2010, which will be backward compatible and interoperable with their respective previous versions. G.hn has no provision for interoperability with either HomePlug or MoCA or other technologies. So as currently defined, G.hn does not coexist with the installed base of millions of MoCA and HomePlug devices – including the products that are purchased each day from retail stores throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
   

8. Is this effectively a merger or a precursor to a merger between the two organizations?
   No. We are announcing a liaison agreement between two organizations that are remaining completely independent.

9. Are any marketing activities or events planned?
   Yes, we expect our joint efforts will be for educational and informational purposes.
   

10. How did this all come about anyway? What or who sowed the seeds for this endeavor?
    The two organizations have many of the same members, so working together more formally can help us move toward a common goal of education and information of all stakeholders in the networked home.