Wire Wars

By BUILDER Magazine Staff. This June, the Home Plug Powerline Alliance (www.homeplug.org) released its long-awaited standard for powerline carrier (PLC) technology, in which electrical wires are used for digital data. Now the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) (www.CE.org) has jumped into the fray. On October 1, CEA also began testing various PLC technologies and will select one as its standard by January. “We think our standard is more robust and flexible,” says CEA’s Jeff Joseph. Home Plug thinks the same thing. Of course, CEA-compliant devices won’t talk to those certified by Home Plug. Joseph expects a period of competition before one emerges the winner. Stay tuned.