DS2 wins BT contract

(UPA) technology provider

has won a contract from

to supply its powerline chips to enable the self-installation option of digital TV services.

The DS2 solution includes a reference design for the development of powerline products that incorporates a female socket that saves the customer's power outlet for use with other devices. It provides one-touch set-up for HDTV-speed home networks in seconds and an energy saving standby mode when not in use.

UPA technology processes at a maximum gross speed of 200Mbps which allows the DS2 chips to provide excellent IPTV viewing capabilities. The technology supports the development of plug-and-play enabled products so there is typically no complex installation procedure.

Jorge Blasco, President and CEO of DS2 said: ‘Using DS2 chips and Reference Designs allows service providers such as BT to offer a simple ‘power and go’ IPTV service. As a chip supplier we are always looking to the future and continuously developing to ensure a first-rate consumer experience. We are now reaching the levels of integration and low silicon costs to support the next step in the development of multimedia applications over Powerline, which will be to embed the technology, as a first step, inside the set-top box. We are excited to be working with BT to deliver innovative new solutions that will take digital TV to the next level.’

The Universal Powerline Association (UPA) is an international body that has created specifications and compliance testing worldwide.