The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has failed to help two competing Powerline Ethernet technologies agree a joint standard (P1901), causing further delays. Powerline Ethernet (HomePlug etc.) works by utilising the existing power cables and sockets in your home to share out a local area network (LAN).

Presently there are two solutions for doing this, each with their own independent hardware, DS2's Universal Powerline Association (UPA) and the HomePlug Alliance (HPA). This can cause consumers a lot of confusion, especially when neither is fully compatible with the other.

It's known that the IEEE's P1901 Working Group favours the HPA proposal, although not enough to win 75% of the vote, hence the need for a joint standard. The technical side will now need to be adjusted in time for the next voting opportunity during September.