UNH-IOL Combines Broadband & Consumer Test Services

Some of the many testing and certification services offered by the UNH-IOL include DLNA/VidiPath™ Certification, IPv6 Ready CE Router Certification, Broadband Forum (BBF) TR-069 Certification as well as RVU Alliance Certification. Until recently, these services were offered by two different internal groups within the UNH-IOL, the Digital Living Consortium (DLC) and the Home Networking Consortium (HNC). The UNH-IOL is excited to announce that as of May 1st 2015, all of these testing services are offered by HNC allowing member companies involved with home networking technologies to collaborate with each other.

The UNH-IOL has offered DLNA Certification testing since its introduction into the consumer electronics industry and was one of the first Independent Certification Vendors (ICV). The UNH-IOL is also currently the only ICV in North America. DLNA has also recently released a new certification program, titled VidiPath™, which allows consumers to access their cable subscriptions on any network attached client in their home. Both certification programs are offered at the UNH-IOL.

Similar to VidiPath™, RVU Alliance Certification allows consumers to receive their satellite subscription content on any RVU Certified TV without the use of an additional set top box. RVU Alliance Certification testing has also been offered by the UNH-IOL since its introduction to the industry and the UNH-IOL is one of only two testing labs in the world qualified to perform certification testing.

HNC already offers IPv6 Ready CE Router Logo testing, which was launched in March, 2013. This rigorous certification program tests home gateways for basic IPv6 functionality, drawing requirements from RFC 7084, “Basic Requirements for IPv6 Customer Edge Routers.” The UNH-IOL has a long history in IPv6 expertise and testing, and it has recently begun selling its conformance test tool that can test the IPv6 Ready CE Router Logo Conformance test suite.

The UNH-IOL is also highly involved in the Broadband Forum TR-069 Certification program. We are the approved test lab for this program, which was launched in 2012. In a recent study, TR-069-enabled devices were expected to reach 356 million by 2016 (http://www.ovum.com/press_releases/products-compliant-to-broadband-forum-standards-predicted-to-grow-by-32-in-the-next-two-years/), providing ISPs with lower cost installations, and more efficient customer service. TR-069 is also paving the way for smart home services. TR-069’s deployment is growing, and the UNH-IOL is helping maintain compliance to the standard by performing certification testing.

The UNH-IOL has always prided itself on the testing services it has offered and this merger brings the UNH-IOL one step closer to being a one stop shop for consumer electronics companies. This will enable end users, service providers and equipment manufactures to have a higher level of confidence in the test results knowing they were all tested at the same place by the same team of technicians. The UNH-IOL is also known for the training and knowledge it gives to its undergraduate technicians. This merger helps increase the knowledge in the young engineers that the UNH-IOL produces and allows them to be well versed in their experience and information about the connected home. 

This merging of test services is beneficial to UNH-IOL customers in the consumer electronics industry.  In the past, a company seeking DLNA Certification as well as BBF TR-069 Certification and CE Router testing would need to pay membership fees to both consortiums in order to receive testing. Now, companies can test all of these services with one yearly membership fee. In addition, both consortia’s test beds will be combined which allows customers to select from a wider range of products to perform interoperability testing against.

Stay tuned for more updates about the new testing services offered by the Home Networking Consortium and if you have any questions about the services feel free to Contact Us.