HGI brings together about 65 companies – service providers and manufacturers of chips, software, home gateways, home network devices, services, and consumer electronics from around the world. HGI’s role is to determine current requirements for home network features and testing approaches. While other standards forums also focus on the home network from a consumer electronics perspective, HGI was formed to specify the elements the service providers need to deploy in the home to support residential internet service. Of these elements, first and foremost is the home gateway, which is the interconnect hub among home and the access network.

The HG is a service aware router, a bridge, a wireless access hub, an access network terminator, and increasingly an applications platform providing a wide range of services itself. While the original specification of the HG during 2005-2009 focused upon the definition of a QoS-aware, triple-play capable HG, major evolutions continue.

The HGI test programme has just completed its third annual test event with a record number of participants. The HGI test event allows vendors of home gateways, of chips, and of software solutions to have their products tested in a rigorous methodology under the auditing of a service provider committee. In the just-finished 2011 event, 8 categories of tests were available to vendors. Within each category, manufacturers chose the tests to perform; those who complete a specified subset of tests are eligible to use an HGI logo in their marketing.

HGI welcomes companies interesting in furthering the home network ecosystem to join and get involved in our work. The benefits include industry influence, access to and influence upon ongoing specification and test work, and informal knowledge and networking. New companies are able to request observership at one of our meetings to gain a better idea of our work. Please contact Duncan Bees for more information.