HomeRF: Wireless networking for the connected home

The SWAP specification for wireless voice and data networking within the ho me will enable a new class of mol,ils consumer devices that draw from the p ower and content of the Internet and the home PC. If cable modems and xDSL represent the "last mile" access to the home, then HomeRF(TM)'s mission wit h SWAP could he called the "very last 150 feet" within and around the home. HomeRF has the broad backing of the major corporate stakeholders for netwo rking within the home and is optimized specifically for the cost/performanc e point needed for consumers. The technology leverages the existing PC-indu stry infrastructure around the Internet, TCP/IP, and Ethernet, and adds a s tandard way to connect to the PSTN for voice telephony. First products shou ld appear in late 1999, and future versions with enhanced features and/or h igher data rates should follow in one to two years.