India: Project launched to deliver broadband over power lines

Date:23/05/2006

Schneider Electric involved in venture on west coast

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The experiment may help bring down the cost of accessing the Internet
Under the concept, subscribers do not need a phone, cable or satellite connection
A subscriber installs a modem that can be plugged into a wall outlet, and pays a subscription fee
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Bangalore: Global power specialist Schneider Electric has embarked on a pilot project in India to deliver high-speed Internet access or broadband connectivity over power transmission lines to consumers, chairman and chief executive officer of the company Jean-Pascal Tricoire has said.

The "broadband over power line" concept is an emerging alternative to the cable system and DSL (digital subscriber line) for delivering high-speed Internet access to households.

The pilot project is being implemented along with a power transmission company on the west coast. If successful, the experiment will help bring down the cost of accessing the Internet substantially and facilitate use of the technology to more households, Mr. Tricoire said during a recent visit to Bangalore.

Roshanlal Kariholoo, president, Greater India, Schneider Electric, said: "By providing broadband connectivity over power lines, the cost can be reduced by 40 to 50 per cent."

Mr. Tricoire said India was chosen for the pilot project since it was "probably the place" where there were "interesting, daring and technology-driven customers," he added.

Wider reach


Power lines are an attractive broadband delivery system since they are already in place and reach more homes than cable systems or telephone lines.

To make use of the technology, subscribers do not need a phone, cable or satellite connection. A subscriber installs a modem that can be plugged into a wall outlet, and pays a subscription fee.

Along with coaxial cables, telephone lines and the emerging last-mile wireless technology, power lines are becoming conduits for delivering data to homes.

Opening the broadband access market to a new industry with considerable clout could escalate competition to sell connections to households across the country.

Industry sources said the success of the Schneider pilot project to deliver broadband over power line would help facilitate the use of the power network to deliver high-speed Internet access to households, especially those in the hard-to-reach rural areas, where there was a vast untapped market.



BROADBAND over POWER LINES: new 200 Mbps Technology !!!