The common electric socket will serve as your home's connection to broadband with a new chip developed by Matsushita Electric Industrial, doing away with all the Ethernet cables or the hassle of hooking up to a wireless network device. Products are still being developed, but gadgets embedded with the chip from the Japanese manufacturer of Panasonic products can hook up to a broadband network by plugging into the common electrical outlet, company officials said. The technology has been around for some time but Matsushita's system is unique in that it delivers fast-speed broadband information at up to 170Mbps. The advantage is that the lowly electric socket is everywhere. Right now, a broadband outlet still isn't usually available in every room, even in homes that have broadband connections.