Qualcomm Unveils Industry's First Hybrid Wireless Extender Utilizing HomePlug AV2 MIMO and 802.11ac Wi-Fi

SAN DIEGO, June 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Atheros, Inc., is launching the industry's first hybrid wireless range extender utilizing Qualcomm Atheros' leading HomePlug® AV2 (HPAV2) multi-input/multi-output (MIMO) Powerline and 802.11ac Wi-Fi® technologies. The company also announced a new HomePlug AV2 single-input/single output (SISO) solution that brings reliability to mainstream broadband equipment. Both Powerline solutions are based on the HomePlug AV2 standard that is designed to provide reliable, high-speed connectivity over existing electrical wiring in the home.

"Qualcomm Atheros is a longtime supporter of hybrid networking products combining HomePlug's speed and reliability with Wi-Fi's flexibility and mobility," said Gopi Sirineni, senior director, product management, Qualcomm Atheros, Inc. "The products we are announcing today provide our customers with important new options in terms of performance, 802.11ac integration, and price." 

HomePlug AV2 Dual Band 802.11ac Range Extender

Range extenders are an increasingly popular way to extend Wi-Fi connectivity throughout a home, using an existing electrical system as a wired backbone. The REH152, Qualcomm Atheros' newest range extender reference design, combines its high-performance HomePlug AV2 chipset (the QCA7500) to provide two to three times greater performance than popular HomePlug AV solutions, and 802.11ac system-on-chip (QCA9882 and QCA9563) to create a dual-band, dual concurrent (DBDC) wireless hotspot anywhere it is plugged in. This is especially useful in rooms far from the home's wireless router, or in cases where dense building construction creates wireless dead-spots or low-spots. The REH152 is equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet port to provide a wired connection to nearby stationary devices, and can be used as an energy-efficient repeater to increase coverage. REH152 is currently sampling and the development kits are available now.

"As a leading supplier of carrier-grade in-home networking solutions to tier-1 service providers, ZINWELL understands the importance of fast, reliable, whole-home coverage," said Yasha, chairman office special assistant, ZINWELL Corporation. "Now ZINWELL can address the growing network demands from trends such as 4K IPTV, and the growing number of mobile devices/home with the powerline adapter and hybrid wireless extender which utilize Qualcomm Atheros' 802.11ac and HomePlug AV2 technology."

Low-Cost, Energy Efficient HomePlug AV2 SISO Solution

Qualcomm Atheros is adding the PL29 to its family of Powerline solutions, to enable more consumers to experience broadband at electrical outlets in their home. Based on the AR7420, the PL29 is a highly-efficient, yet cost-effective HomePlug AV2 SISO solution designed for mainstream segments with high price sensitivity. The PL29 supports a Max PHY rate of 600 Mbps with plenty of real world throughput for 4K video streaming, online gaming and other demanding broadband applications. It is compliant with the HomePlug AV2 specification and operates in the SISO mode. The PL29 is currently sampling and the development kits are available now.

"Our new REH152 combines the speed improvements of 802.11ac with the next generation coverage of HomePlug AV2 with MIMO for an unparalleled wired and wireless whole-home network," Gopi Sirineni added. "Additionally, our new SISO solution provides speed for applications like video streaming, addressing the growing video consumption on multiple devices."

About Qualcomm Incorporated

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. Qualcomm Incorporated includes Qualcomm's licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of its patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of Qualcomm's engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of its products and services businesses, including its semiconductor business, QCT. For more than 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. For more information, visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. HomePlug is a registered trademark of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc, in the U.S. and other countries. Other product and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Qualcomm Contacts:
Laurie Falconer, Qualcomm Atheros
Phone: 1-408-652-0632
Email: [email protected]

Emily Kilpatrick, Corporate Communications
Phone: 1-858-845-5959
Email: [email protected]

Warren Kneeshaw, Investor Relations
Phone: 1-858-658-4813
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Qualcomm Technologies

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