The two Single Pair Ethernet alliances merge

2026-09-14 · Publisher : SPE Association · Domain : Industry 4.0 & 5.0

On 14 September 2026, the two rival Single Pair Ethernet groups merge into an SPE Association of more than 130 companies, ending over five years of disagreement on this single twisted-pair industrial networking technology.

### Background On 14 September 2026, the **Single Pair Ethernet System Alliance** and the **SPE Industrial Partner Network**, two groups that had disagreed for more than five years over **Single Pair Ethernet (SPE)** specifications, merge into a single **SPE Association**. A year earlier, they had announced their intent to work together on a single technology. ### Key facts - The SPE Association represents more than **130 manufacturing and technology companies** worldwide; members of both groups are integrated. - SPE carries high-speed Ethernet data over long distances on **a single twisted pair** instead of two or four, reducing weight, space and cabling and connector costs. - Target uses: industrial communications, automation and IIoT, down to sensors and actuators. - The association debuts at IMTS in Chicago, then will be at IAS in China in October and SPS in Germany in November. - The founders speak of "a revolutionary era in industrial automation". ### Why it matters Two rival camps were slowing adoption: manufacturers hesitated to pick a connector system. A single standard should allow Ethernet to reach field sensors, replacing legacy fieldbuses, and simplify factory network architectures. ### Takeaway The end of the SPE connector war paves the way for end-to-end Ethernet, from the cloud down to the sensor.

Tags : Réseaux industriels, Normalisation, IIoT, Automatisation