A new research brief from ABI Research concludes that while Wi-Fi will play a large role in domestic triple-play distribution scenarios, it is not the whole story. Multimedia over Coax (MoCA), Home Phone Networking Alliance (HPNA 3.0), and HomePlug will collectively see 45 million total connections on STB and residential gateways shipped in 2011.

“Most large video service providers are evaluating one of these no-new-wires technologies to enable video distribution around the home,” said research director Michael Wolf. “The slow road toward finalization of 802.11n and the lack of comfort among many video service providers about wireless have opened the doors for these alternatives. . .”

ABI’s report points out the strengths and weaknesses of the leading wired technologies:

- MoCA has the highest actual throughput for home networking, but the technology can operate only over coax.
- HPNA 3.0 runs over either coax or copper phone wiring, but overlaps the VDSL spectrum.
- HomePlug AV runs over the existing AC wiring with access at a large number of outlets throughout the home in every room. HomePlug AV has been slower to market.

MoCA and HPNA are limited in coverage by the number of installed jacks in the home. HomePlug AV also runs over coax and can form a hybrid powerline/coax network, making it the most ubiquitous home network solution for streaming media.

ABI predicts that MoCA will lead in overall connections due to strong uptake in North America among IPTV and cable providers. HPNA 3.0 will see some adoption among IPTV providers and possibly cable providers, as some take advantage of the dual-medium capability (coax and phone line). HomePlug will see more limited deployment, but will have greater traction overall in Europe.

While MoCA, HPNA 3.0 and HomePlug AV are not the only wired players, they are the highest performers for streaming-media and, consequently, the leading considerations of the service providers.

HomePlug is gaining huge traction worldwide as leading retailers, manufacturers and service providers are joining the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. The most recent to join the likes of Intel, Motorola, Sony and Samsung are Texas Instruments, LG and TCL.

2007 is going to be an interesting year with many cultural changes driven by these new technologies.

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