Leading optical technology and R&D specialist Teleconnect has joined the HomeGrid Forum, continuing the organization’s drive to widen its scope to include all wired technologies, including optical transmission, for G.hn. European-based Teleconnect has pioneered the use of G.hn over optical fiber, in particular plastic optical fiber (POF). As the ITU-T’s home networking standard for any wire, G.hn-based system designs have already successfully demonstrated high performance over coax, powerline and phone line. The addition of support for optical technologies complements the G.hn anywire approach, making G.hn the single choice for system designers seeking the ideal solution for both home and business networking environments.

Based in Dresden Germany, Teleconnect is an R&D and outsourcing partner for several European telecommunications equipment manufacturers. The company specializes in wired and optical communications, concentrating on the interface between copper-based and optical communication, including a break-through project in the transmission of “VDSL2 over optics” for Fast Ethernet transmission via step-index POF.

John Egan, Vice-President of HomeGrid Forum, said: “Bringing optical communications into the G.hn portfolio is a logical progression for the technology, adding another important dimension to its ‘any wire, anywhere’ capability. We are delighted to have the energy, enthusiasm and commitment of Teleconnect in our team. The foundation standards for G.hn continue to prove themselves in the real world as new, innovative steps like MIMO and now POF support expand the reach and breadth of the technology. Teleconnect’s mindset of stretching and growing the technology into new areas fits right in with our other members’ commitments. We look forward to Teleconnect making a great contribution to our team.”

Teleconnect has taken a keen interest in the development of G.hn from the outset, particularly in its potential for use over optical technologies. The company led the proposal to the ITU-T that resulted in the adoption of Annex F for POF in the G.hn recommendation in January 2012.

“This is now the right time for us to join the HomeGrid Forum and to make a full contribution to the ongoing development of the standard and its applications. HomeGrid has made tremendous strides in promoting this technology and driving forward the work, and we are keen to add our expertise in the optical field to further complement this work and open up additional application areas for the G.hn technology,” said Dr.-Ing. Andreas Bluschke, Managing Director of Teleconnect.