HGI sets requirements for home network devices
QoS and power management in the home network are addressed
A Home Network Infrastructure Device bridges a minimum of two home network
segments and is located in the data and signalling paths
24 August 2015. HGI today announced it has published new requirements for home network devices.
The new document, ‘RD012: QoS and Multicast Requirements for Home Network Infrastructure Devices’, extends the current Quality of Service (QoS) architecture already published by HGI, to cover the entire home network.
RD012 details the requirements for QoS functions such as classification and queuing within powerline or Wi-Fi adaptors; those home network adaptors are used in customers’ homes to carry Internet data between Home Gateways and connected devices, including smart TVs, tablets, and smartphones. The HGI document also explains how multicast content such as Internet TV should be handled by the home network adaptors.
“This new document can be used by manufacturers of home network infrastructure devices to understand the service provider requirements in the home network,” said HGI’s Chief Technology and Business Officer Duncan Bees. “These technical requirements have been developed with direct input from service providers and following them will be of great advantage to manufacturers looking to achieve widespread adoption of their brand.”
HGI has considered a range of technical requirements for the home network that provide guidance for manufacturers. Also published this month is HGI’s new recommendation on handling power states of customer devices in the home network.
‘RD031: Requirements for Power Management of Home Network Devices’ introduces functions that provide energy savings by allowing devices to enter a quiescent state when not actively processing data traffic or performing primary functions. The energy savings could be either customer-initiated, for example, turning off a set-top box when not in use, or could be automatically initiated.
RD031, which builds on HGI’s already-extensive publications on energy savings, defines two functions, the NCP (Network Connectivity Proxy (NCP) and the Energy Controller (EC) that control the power states of connected devices. The use-cases for the HGI NCP, EC and joint NCP and EC approach, take into account the latest European Commission Regulations about power consumption limits for networked standby products. While both functions can be operated in isolation, the document recommends using them jointly to achieve more sophisticated configurations.
“Power saving has been a major focus of service providers for some time and the new work extends beyond consideration of a single box to define coordination among different devices,” continued Bees. “It supports energy-saving Smart Home services that put a good deal of control in customers’ hands. Ultimately, we hope to see a unified approach to power management of connected devices in the home based upon this architecture.”
To view the full documents, please visit: http://www.homegatewayinitiative.org/documents/Current_HGI_Publications.asp
About HGI
HGI, founded in 2004 by nine telecom operators, is shaping the next generation of internet and voice services. Starting from use-cases and service needs, HGI sets requirements for Home Gateways, infrastructure devices and the Home Network. HGI represents the entire spectrum of players in the broadband home area and is committed to fulfilling its mission by mid-2016. For more information about HGI or to find out how to participate, email contact@homegatewayinitiative.org or visit our website: http://www.homegatewayinitiative.org/
