ITU approves 1Gbps home network standard

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http://www.itwire.com/content/view/28592/127/

As fibre roll-outs gain momentum worldwide, the International Telecommunication Union has ratified its so-called G.hn standard for new 'smart home' networks and applications.

The standard, which the ITU says will drive new applications into homes more cost effectively - including high-definition television and IP television, as well as various communications mediums – has implications for companies planning to offer services through the National Broadband Network.

In addition to delivering new services and applications through in-home devices like entertainment systems and games consoles, the standard is also expected to have a big impact on applications like telemedicine.

The ITU said G.hn compliant devices will be capable of handling rich media content at up to 1Gbps using a variety of existing in-home wiring – from coax cable and standard phone lines to power lines. Throughput speeds would be significant greater than both existing wired and wireless technologies.

The first chip-sets using G.hn are expected to become available early next year, with devices soon after.

While the physical layer and architecture portion of the standard were approved by ITU-T Study Group 15 a week ago, the data link layer of the new standard is not expected to garner final approval until May 2010.

"G.hn is a technology that gives new use to the cabling most people already have in their homes," the ITU’s Telecommunications Standardisation Bureau director Malcolm Johnson said. "The remarkable array of applications that it will enable includes energy efficient smart appliances, home automation and telemedicine devices."

"The sheer weight of industry support behind this innovation is testament to the extraordinary potential of this standard to transform home networking," Johnson said.

Also agreed at the ITU was a new standard known as G.9972, which describes the process by which G.hn devices will work with power line devices using technologies like IEEE P1901. In addition, it said experts will develop extensions to G.hn to support SmartGrid applications.
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Coming soon, to a continent nowhere near you! :(
 
I'm extremely happy with my 4mb adsl connection at the moment, would be a dream come true to experiencing a 1gb connection!
 
Well I like this tbh...

I can start planning the wiring in my house so that its G.hn compliant and then just blow loads of money getting G.hn compliant devices... :p
 
I just noticed that the HN in "G.hn" probably stands for Home Network???
 
blaaislaai said:
I'm extremely happy with my 4mb adsl connection at the moment, would be a dream come true to experiencing a 1gb connection!
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This is designed for WITHIN the home, not for internet connections. i.e. for those (Americans) who have cable connections wired into every room, just reuse them for data, to a suitable Set Top Box (or whatever).

However, I noted that they say it can run over phone and/or coax. Which makes me wonder if you will have to choose a device based on the physical layer that you have chosen for your house (either phone or coax). Which suggests that manufacturers will have to cater for both, either by providing both in a single device, or by selling two different devices, differentiated by the physical layer that they support. Not a wonderful idea, IMO.

We'll have to wait and see, I guess.
 
I don't see the point of this new standard. We already have gigabit per second ethernet.

Why muddy the waters with another standard? Ethernet is already well deployed, and dirt cheap. From cabling, to switches, hubs and routers, just about any "network-ready" device has an ethernet port. And 1gbps ethernet is already backwards compatible with 10 and 100mbps ethernet.

Why create more confusion? Does nobody else get this? Or am I being obtuse and missing something critical?
 
ToxicWazte said:
I don't see the point of this new standard. We already have gigabit per second ethernet.

Why muddy the waters with another standard? Ethernet is already well deployed, and dirt cheap. From cabling, to switches, hubs and routers, just about any "network-ready" device has an ethernet port. And 1gbps ethernet is already backwards compatible with 10 and 100mbps ethernet.

Why create more confusion? Does nobody else get this? Or am I being obtuse and missing something critical?
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I get the impression that it's the ability of the technology, to create ethernet speeds as you mention, for existing types of different cabling, already in homes.

The first chip-sets using G.hn are expected to become available early next year, with devices soon after.

While the physical layer and architecture portion of the standard were approved by ITU-T Study Group 15 a week ago, the data link layer of the new standard is not expected to garner final approval until May 2010.

"G.hn is a technology that gives new use to the cabling most people already have in their homes," the ITU’s Telecommunications Standardisation Bureau director Malcolm Johnson said. "The remarkable array of applications that it will enable includes energy efficient smart appliances, home automation and telemedicine devices."

from coax cable and standard phone lines to power lines
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Rosaudio said:
and how long would a 3gb cap last on that?
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We're talking about a home network here. It doesn't need internet access. You could stream stuff from your PC or Digital Home Entertainment System, to your bed room, kitchen, or toilet.

Although having uncapped broadband would be awesome.
 
Lightscribe said:
I get the impression that it's the ability of the technology, to create ethernet speeds as you mention, for existing types of different cabling, already in homes.
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I still think this technology is pointless, and won't really take off.

I also think it would still be much cheaper to lay NEW ethernet cabling, or set up a 802.11n (108-360mbps) wireless network. Ethernet is EVERYWHERE.

New technologies are always more expensive than existing technologies, and will take time to be implemented. They will also most likely not be inter-operable with more widely-deployed existing technologies.

Think about all the devices you currently have in your home (or would like to have). Most of them are ethernet-enabled already. From HD-TVs, to Home Entertainment systems, Blu-ray players, your PC, laptop, PS3, XBox, iBurst modem, ADSL modem, router, etc..

How long has 3G/HSDPA been around? How many 3G/HSDPA enabled laptops are out there? How long have we been waiting for Wimax? How many Wimax-enabled laptops are out there? Not that many.

See where I'm going with tihs?
 
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well if it works thru the plug then cool, otherwise there is always wifi(when u don't have concrete floors to go thru). Nowadays tv + hifi + computers + notebooks + ipods + speaker systems, lights, geysers(you get ip time switches :D), etc all need varying interaction.
 
Finally, my coffee machine will start automatically when I log in!
( you know, for while it loads ^^, )
 
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zamicro said:
Well, if you are renting you cannot just install Ethernet. If you can then use the existing wiring for a fast network, it would be super.
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Not if it means cutting the ends off whatever cabling is already there, so you can terminate the cable with a suitable plug for this G.hn technology.

Cheaper and easier to run your own ethernet cable, even if you have to glue it to the walls. Take it off, patch and paint, and you're done. And if you ask your landlord, he may even be happy to share the cost with you.
 
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