The next generation of home networking - Press release, 7 February 2011

OMEGA project demonstrates hybrid connectivity up to 1 Gbps

The European research project OMEGA has developed and integrated communication technologies for an ultra-broadband home network. OMEGA’s solution enables seamless broadband connectivity at transmission rates of up to one gigabit per second in every room - without the need to install any new wires. OMEGA’s final gigabit home network demonstrators will be publicly shown for the first time at the OMEGA Open Event in Rennes, France, on 23 - 24 February 2011.

Demonstrations

The OMEGA researchers have developed next-generation home networking technologies which will be demonstrated in the showroom of Orange Labs in Rennes. At the core is the demonstration of the Inter-MAC network layer, which integrates wireless technologies, like legacy Wi-Fi and 60GHz, as well as power-line communications. Before OMEGA, these technologies were operated separately - causing the user tremendous hassle. In addition, the project will also demonstrate its novel, optical-wireless solutions for home applications, using infrared and visible-light communication at up to one gigabit per second.
"OMEGA has created a seamless home network. The end user will no longer have to bother, through which cable or antenna his media content is transmitted, or in which room it is available," says Jean-Philippe Javaudin, the OMEGA project coordinator from Orange Labs, France Telecom. "We have already strong evidence that the home networking sector will positively respond to this first working example of next-generation digital home networking," says Martial Bellec, the Omega technical manager, also from Orange Labs, France Telecom. He adds: "We think that the Inter-MAC concept will also pave the way for the reduction of power consumption in future home networks."

Background

The demand for such an ultra-broadband home network is driven by the emerging future Internet services running over new high-speed optical access networks and the rapidly growing number of communicating devices in the home.

Current home networks suffer from the fact that many devices are still limited to wireless transmission rates of 54 megabit per second, or require troublesome wiring to achieve higher rates. Thus, current home networks are at risk of becoming a bottleneck, when fed by high-speed optical access networks, which offer 100 megabit per second or more, both down- and upstream.

OMEGA, an EU-funded consortium of 21 European partners from industry and academia, has overcome these limitations by increasing the data transmission speed to one gigabit per second by connecting home devices to the Internet and to each other through power line communications and wireless connections. This puts an end to the coverage limitations as well as the wiring clutter, giving users connectivity for accessing advanced information and communication services anywhere in their home.

Emerging Internet services that require high bandwidth and high transmission speeds include novel entertainment services like telepresence, 3D gaming, enhanced interactivity, virtual reality, high-definition video as well as e-health applications and services for the exchange of user-generated business or multimedia content. OMEGA’s vision is to provide bandwidth-hungry services which are as easy and convenient to use as getting water from the tap.
OMEGA has not only increased transmission speeds, but also enables the new generation of home networks to be easier to install and operate than current solutions. OMEGA’s solution smartly combines radio frequency and wireless optics communications with power-line communications. It makes the use of these heterogeneous technologies easy for the end user and enables seamless connectivity in every room. Although developed for domestic usage, OMEGA’s solution can also be used for offices.

At the heart of the new system is a technology-independent media access control layer called Inter-MAC. This layer controls the multiple-technology gigabit network and provides services as well as connectivity to any number of devices in any room of the house or flat. Furthermore, the Inter-MAC layer allows the service to follow the user from device to device. In order to make this vision come true, OMEGA has worked on substantial technological challenges in the fields of wired and wireless technologies, in protocol design, and in system architectures. In addition, OMEGA analysed several use case scenarios and their economic impact on the home networking market.

About OMEGA

OMEGA is an Integrating Project co-funded by the European Commission under EU Framework Programme 7. It is running for 39 months from January 2008 to March 2011. OMEGA’s goal has been to develop a user-friendly home network capable of delivering high-bandwidth services and content at a transmission speed of one gigabit per second. The interdisciplinary project consortium consists of 21 European partners from industry and academia.

Project coordinator: Jean-Philippe Javaudin, Orange Labs, France Telecom
OMEGA website including information on the OMEGA Open Event: www.ict-omega.eu

Press release for download

English version (pdf)    French version (pdf)     German version (pdf)

Press contact

Milon Gupta, Marketing and PR Manager, Eurescom;
phone: +49 6221 989-121; e-mail: info(at)ict-omega.eu

Disclaimer

The content of this press release is owned by the OMEGA project consortium. This press release may contain forward-looking statements relating to advanced information and communication technologies. The OMEGA project consortium does not accept any responsibility or liability for any use made of the information provided in this press release. The FP7 logo in this press release is owned by the European Commission. The use of the logo reflects that OMEGA receives funding from the European Commission. Apart from this, the European Commission has no responsibility for the content.