With HomePlug technology, the electrical wires in the home can now distribute broadband Internet, HD video, digital music and smart energy applications.

ENGADGET: HomePlug and IEEE want our home networks to play nice, talk to each other

The Alliance accelerates worldwide adoption for HomePlug technology by collaborating with international standards organizations such as the IEEE and through market development and user education programs.

ENGADGET: HomePlug Powerline Alliance reveals features of new HomePlug AV2 spec

The HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc. (www.homeplug.org) is an industry-led initiative with 65 member companies that creates specifications, marketing and certification programs to accelerate worldwide adoption of powerline networking with HomePlug technology.

ENGADGET: HomePlug and IEEE want our home networks to play nice, talk to each other

Powerline uses industry-standard HomePlug AV technology to turn any home wall socket into a network connection.

ENGADGET: Cisco unveils Linksys HomePlug AV Powerline solutions, converts outlets into network connection points

HomePlug AV has been the powerline technology of choice, and AV2 provides an aggressive migration path to support greater network capacity and distribution of ultra-high quality content throughout the home.

ENGADGET: HomePlug Powerline Alliance reveals features of new HomePlug AV2 spec

These providers require a migration path to a much higher performance powerline technology to meet future bandwidth demands while maintaining interoperability with their current HomePlug AV installations and future IEEE1901 products.

ENGADGET: HomePlug Powerline Alliance reveals features of new HomePlug AV2 spec

Let's face it -- HomePlug AV has had a pretty rough go of it, and while we wouldn't consider the technology dead just yet, we can't imagine it ever rising to prominence at this point.

ENGADGET: CopperGate buys HomePlug AV Powerline business HD