Powerline Communications Help Deliver Broadband Services Virtually Everywhere

Monday April 10, 8:45 am ET


PALO ALTO, Calif., April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Several technical challenges such as signal attenuation issues, noise issues and signal leakage issues hamper the growth of powerline communications. These factors are being addressed through means of various research and development efforts. The omnipresence of electric grids coupled with the high data speeds offered by powerlines can enable the delivery of broadband services virtually everywhere.

Frost & Sullivan (http://www.technicalinsights.frost.com ) finds that the infrastructures for powerlines are extensive and are already available in place. Communications through powerlines do not require any change in the underlying infrastructure. Unlike structured wiring technologies such as unshielded twisted pair cable for telephones, which require laying of cables, powerline communication systems can make use of the existing wiring.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants an overview of the latest analysis of Powerline Communications- A Technology Analysis, then send an e-mail to Trisha Bradley, Corporate Communications at trisha.bradley@frost.com with the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail address, city, state, and country. The brochure will be e-mailed to you upon receipt of this information.

"The ubiquitous nature of powerlines has been the biggest driving force for powerline communications," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Amreetha Vijayakumar.

Any home environment or residential environment is already equipped with powerlines and most devices that need to network are connected to the alternating current (AC) wiring. To set up a powerline networking at home, the user requires a PLC modem to connect the device to the AC power supply.

Powerline communications offers excellent data transmission speeds, but they have signal leakage and interference issues which has slowed down the penetration of this technology into the market.

Applications that involve high-speed data transmissions such as broadband over powerline are distributed using the frequency spectrum ranging between 2 MHz to 80 MHz, but this block of the frequency spectrum is also used by high frequency applications and devices and some lower band very high frequency spectrum land mobile services.

"The radio frequency signals generated by the powerlines are not shielded and they can easily cause interference to communication devices operating in the same range," notes Vijayakumar. "Signal leakage is a key area of concern because most radio services operate in this spectrum."

The signal interference and leakage issues evoked the concerns of various regulatory and communication organizations around the world. Several trial projects were conducted to prove the possibility of co-existence of amateur radios and powerlines. Most of the regulatory bodies around the world have now given a go-ahead signal after considering the results of these experiments.



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