COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The HomePlug Powerline Alliance will announce at the Intel Developers Forum on Wednesday (Aug. 24) the restructuring of its standards effort to create an Implementers' Forum Board of Directors.

The addition of Intel Corp., Cisco Systems Inc./Linksys, Motorola Inc. and others as sponsor members is expected to boost the alliance's effort to have its audio-video and broadband-over-powerline (BPL) standards accepted by the IEEE, European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and other standards organizations.

The implementers' board also includes Comcast, Earthlink, RadioShack, Sharp and Sony. Under the board are three Promoters’ Groups reflecting the three key HomePlug specs: 1.0 + AV for broadband in-home networking; BPL for broadband access over powerlines; and home automation, for lower bandwidth control applications.

While HomePlug members declined to characterize the reorganization as a challenge to existing international standards bodies, several members have been concerned since the IEEE announced the formation of the P1901 working group for BPL standards in mid-July.

Earlier this year, a chip standard for physical-layer (PHY) and medium-access (MAC) layer interfaces, already approved by HomePlug for AV, was adopted by the alliance as the basis for a BPL standard. Philip Poulidis, senior director of BPL standards at Intellon Corp., said, “We welcome the IEEE effort, but it’s no secret IEEE standards take a long time. We hope that we can bring a fully functional PHY and MAC chip to the table and that IEEE will take that into consideration.”

When CableLabs created the Docsis standard for home modems, IEEE steered clear of developing competing standards due to the tight relationship between OEMs, chip set suppliers and cable TV operators.

When first-generation HomePlug standards were introduced, consumer electronics manufacturers were promoting in-home networking. Hence, international bodies let HomePlug take the lead. With AV, control and BPL being added to the mix, however, IEEE and ETSI are scrutinizing the standards.

Jim Mollenkopf, vice president of products and architecture at Current Communications Group, serves as the co-chairman of the IEEE P1901 PHY/MAC Working Group. He said IEEE deliberately placed the effort within its Corporate Standards Group, rather than within LAN/MAN 802 subcommittees, because industry standards bodies are organized in a way that speeds the approval process.

Mollenkopf added that "the members all realize that IEEE has had a reputation for doing things the right way, but not necessarily with optimum speed. We want to do this particular job quickly."

The group's next meeting will be Sept. 12-13 in Dallas. Mollenkopf said his group will consider PHY and MAC chip-development work made in the past, "and it is absolutely part of the group's mission to look at harmonization of design between in-home and access standards."

HomePlug is an important member of the PHY/MAC group, he said, as is the European Universal Powerline Association and the Japan-based Consumer Electronics Powerline Communications Alliance. "Our biggest goal is to get all the groups' efforts harmonized," he said.