CopperGate Acquires Conexant's HomePlug AV Powerline Technology

CopperGate Communications has acquired Conexant Systems' HomePlug AV business, including all relevant power line technology and silicon products, related patents, appropriate licenses, and requisite personnel. Former Conexant employees will become part of the CopperGate team and will expand the company's R&D initiatives in Southern California. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.


CopperGate is already the leading provider of HomePNA compliant chipsets, the dominant coax and phone wire standard for IPTV installations and the company remains strongly committed to the HomePNA standard. CopperGate said the acquisition makes it the first semiconductor company with home networking technologies supporting all three wire types -- coax, phone and power lines.


"Adding power line technology to our HomePNA coax and phone line technology opens up many new markets globally and better prepares the company for the exciting new ITU home networking standard, G.hn," said Gabi Hilevitz, Chief Executive Officer of CopperGate.


G.hn is the working group name for the next generation global home networking standard being created within the ITU-T. With G.hn, coax, phone wires and power lines will all be supported by a single standard. Today, there are twenty-five active global members of G.hn including AT&T, Verizon, France Telecom, Intel and TI and the group recently began meeting monthly due to strong interest and increased contributions. The G.hn foundation specification is expected by the end of 2008.


Separately, CopperGate announced a significant milestone -- the shipment of 5 million HomePNA chipsets worldwide.http://www.copper-gate.com