HomeRF 2.0 Products Cleared for European Certification

Next Generation HomeRF to offer streamed video capabilities as well as audio, telephony and computing applications

PORTLAND, January 7, 2002 - The HomeRF Working Group today announced that existing second-generation products based on the open HomeRF 2.0 specification are now certifiable in Europe. ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) recently approved a new revision to rules governing the use of wideband frequency hopping technologies in the 2.4 GHz ISM band, and this facilitates the introduction of more advanced versions of wireless home networking products.

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"We congratulate ETSI on this rule change," says HomeRF General Chairman Ken Haase. "The modification of ETSI document EN 300 328 improves the consistency of worldwide standardization and allows us to proactively meet the demand for everfaster wireless home and small business networks in the European market."

Sponsored by such companies as Siemens, Proxim, National Semiconductor, Motorola, and Loewe, HomeRF's European Working Group was recently established to promote the use of the technology in Europe's rapidly expanding marketplace of connected homes. Research has shown that 23 percent of European PC owners have more than one machine, and the number of homes with broadband connections is set for major expansion as deregulation and competition roll out across Europe. For these users, HomeRF offers the chance to share resources (printers, scanners, storage devices, Internet connections) without having to go through the upheaval of running cable throughout the whole house. HomeRF is easy to install and run, requiring no knowledge of networking protocols.

Dr. Horst Laven of Siemens, chairman of the new HomeRF European Working Group, added, "HomeRF 2.0 is a significant achievement, combining entertainment, telephony, video and Web access on a single wireless network for a new class of converged applications, devices, and services. The ability to get ETSI certification clears the path for HomeRF in Europe, and we expect it to play a significant role in the home networking market."

About HomeRF 2.0

HomeRF 2.0, which operates at data rates of up to 10 Mbps, is the first wireless standard to fully meet the broadband, multimedia needs of home users, and the only standard to support carrier-quality voice. HomeRF 2.0 users can integrate voice, data and streaming media capabilities across a wide range of HomeRF devices for work and play, including PCs, Web tablets, PDAs, cordless phones, wireless speakers, and a growing number of music and television devices. Home users further benefit from HomeRF technology because it is robust in the face of common household interference from microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices and the neighbors' networks. HomeRF is the only technology that was built entirely for the consumer, focusing on the key drivers in this marketplace including ease of use and price concerns, so interoperable products are simple, secure, reliable and affordable.

About the HomeRF

Working Group Launched in March 1998, the Home Radio Frequency Working Group has developed a single specification for a broad range of interoperable consumer devices. HomeRF is an open industry specification that allows PCs, peripherals, cordless telephones and other consumer electronic devices to share and communicate voice, data and streaming media in and around the home without the complication and expense associated with running new wires. Membership in the group includes more than 50 companies made up of leading companies across the PC, consumer electronics, networking, peripherals, communications, software, retail channel, home control and semiconductor industries worldwide. The HomeRF European Working Group was established in 2001 as a subset of the organization, to promote the technology in the European marketplace. For more information and a complete list of members, please visit the Web site at http://www.homerf.org.