News

Universal Powerline Association Members Declare Strong growth to mid 2010 (14/7/2010)

Universal Powerline Association (UPA) members declare a strong start to 2010 with sales to June indicating particularly strong performance in the home networking and entertainment sector.

Silicon vendor, DS2 reports strong growth during the first six months and record sales for the first quarter of 2010 with 86% growth on the previous year, IPTV deployments continue to be a major contributor to growth. Comtrend Corporation, a global supplier of advanced networking solutions, is expecting to sell close to one million pairs of Powerline Ethernet Adapters through the course of 2010. IPTV Operators in Europe and Asia continue to lead in volume deployments of UPA-based powerline technology. Retail sales of Powerline Ethernet Adapters based upon UPA home networking technology remain healthy.

Growth in the deployment of Utility Smart Grid and commercial applications, including Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), particularly in North America, Asia and developing countries has increased sales in this market segment. Early in 2010 the first AMI deployments of UPA technology took place in mainland China. Chris Graham-Fielding, the UPAs Smart Grid Working Group Chairman and MD of Freedom Digital Networks (FDN) a UK PLC provider says: The range of opportunities for UPA compliant PLC solutions continues to grow as more and more markets recognise the benefits. The global market is huge and PLC offers great benefits in developing the Smart Grid. FDN recently won and successfully completed a contract to demonstrate and validate the performance of PLC as a suitable communications medium for an Automatic Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in the UK.

In Japan, Toyo Networks & System Integration Co. Ltd (TNSI) is growing sales through The New Deal for Schools economic stimulus package to upgrade public school facilities; particularly information communication technology (ICT) systems. Yukio Akegamiyama of TNSI explains: The non disruptive deployment that PLC offers overcomes many challenges normally associated with implementing data and media networks in those environments.

Donald Pollock, Permanent Secretary of the UPA, commented: The increased sales for equipment based upon UPA technology in the first part of this year are no doubt down to the versatility and market proven nature of UPA technology; across multiple applications and geographies the products our members produce can be relied upon to deliver.

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