125#POWERLINE COMMUNICATION

ABSTRACT

Power Line Communications (PLC) allows transmission of data over power lines. PLC is potentially the network with the deepest capillarity in the world, since power lines are almost ubiquitous. Powerine communications is a rapidly evolving market that utilizes electricity power lines for the high-speed transmission of data and voice services.

PLC works by transmitting high frequency data signals through the same power cable network used for carrying electricity power to household users. Such signal cannot pass through a transformer. This requires devices ("outdoor devices") that combine the voice and data signals with the low-voltage supply current in the local transformer stations to bridge the last mile. In the house, "indoor devices" (adapters) are used in order to filter out the voice and data signals and to feed them to the various applications (e.g. PC/Internet, telephone, etc.).

The technology has roots going back to the 1940s. It has been used by power utilities for simple telemetering and control of electrical equipment in their networks. What is new is the integration of activities outside the building with those inside the building at a much higher bandwidth, 2.5 mbps or higher – this means voice and data transmission via the mains supply voltage network right through to every power socket in the building, as well as in the reverse direction at high speed.