DS2 announces that it has developed technology that will allow next generation powerline products to operate at a peak data rate of 400Mbps. This milestone will enable the development of new HD-capable multimedia applications, such as multi-channel HD-IPTV delivery or multi-room PVR.

Demonstrations of the 400 Mbps powerline technology will be featured at the invitation only technology launch in New York City next month.

DS2 400Mbps technology will be available in next generation products from DS2 on time to satisfy the demands for extra bandwidth in the digital home and last mile applications that most analysts predict will happen from 2009 onwards. Next generation multimedia applications including multi-room IPTV and HDTV networked entertainment services, networked PVRs and multiple video streams will require bandwidth sufficient to support 5 or more simultaneous video streams.

A recent study from the Diffusion Group on ”Bandwidth Challenges to the Digital Home” (2007), confirmed that the need for bandwidth sufficient to deliver at least 3 HDTV and 2 SDTV streams to the home is foreseen as early as 2009.

DS2’s 400 Mbps technology will be compatible with existing 200Mbps products from DS2, ensuring a seamless migration path for existing users and designs, and will comply with the evolving standards. This quantum leap in performance is slated for 2009.

Jose Calero, CTO at DS2 stated, “Increased bandwidth requirements for multimedia networking applications is one of the key requirements that suppliers to the home networking, networked entertainment and last-mile BPL markets are looking for from future technology specifications. We are well on the way to developing our 3rd generation technology to ensure that suppliers will have the products available to meet the demand for multimedia applications in the future. These results are very exciting and demonstrate that we will be able to achieve the rates required to sustain the multimedia applications of the future over powerline or coax”.

The new technology builds on the success of DS2’s 200 Mbps technology, already deployed and tested by leading operators that include Belgacom, British Telecom, Portugal Telecom, Telefonica, Telecom Italia and Telia Sonera; global electricity utilities such as Endesa, Electricite de France, and Iberdrola and vendors of networking products including Buffalo, D-Link, Comtrend, Corinex Communications and Netgear. During 2008 DS2´s roadmap includes the delivery of additional features in the 200 Mbps technology, as well as reducing manufacturing costs, to give DS2 the edge in meeting customer demand for increased customization of today’s powerline enabled multimedia applications.

DS2 will continue to maintain its low-cost leadership with this 400 Mbps generation as well.