Phase3 telecom expands cheaper powerline Internet option

Bill Okonedo
30 June, 2008 02:00:00

Cheaper Internet service opportunities might in the pipeline for Nigerians as an indigenous company, Phase 3 Telecom, which provides broadband Internet service over high voltage power transmission lines has earmarked $200 million (N23.6 billion) for the expansion of its' service coverage across Nigeria.
Power line communication (PLC), also known as power line carrier, mains communication, power line telecom (PLT), or power line networking (PLN), is a system for carrying data on a conductor also used for electric power transmission. Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) uses PLC by sending and receiving radio signals over power lines to provide access to the Internet.

Electrical power is transmitted over high voltage transmission lines, distributed over medium voltage, and used inside buildings at lower voltages. Powerline communications can be applied at each stage. Most PLC technologies limit themselves to one set of wires (for example, premises wiring), but some can cross between two levels (for example, both the distribution network and premises wiring).

Phase 3 Telecom which is licensed to offer transmission services in the telecommunications sector says it will spend the money for its optic fibre coverage across Nigeria.

Stanley Jegede, the,chief executive officer says the company has before now spent over $100m deploying optic fibre in many cities in Nigeria and providing the needed backbone that had been absent in many towns and cities.

Jegede said that the company, which has been operating in Nigeria for about five years , has been providing services using optic fibre over high voltage power transmission lines, adding that this would be combined with underground fibre to compliment where necessary.

He explained fibre over high voltage which involves lashing and stringing optic fibre over power lines holds a lot of advantages over the traditional underground laying of fibre. He said the advantages include security and high-level reliability.

All power line communications systems operate by impressing a modulated carrier signal on the wiring system. Different types of powerline communications use different frequency bands, depending on the signal transmission characteristics of the power wiring used. Since the power wiring system was originally intended for transmission of AC power, the power wire circuits have only a limited ability to carry higher frequencies. The propagation problem is a limiting factor for each type of power line communications.

Data rates over a power line communication system vary widely. Low-frequency (about 100-200 kHz) carriers impressed on high-voltage transmission lines may carry one or two analog voice circuits, or telemetry and control circuits with an equivalent data rate of a few hundred bits per second; however, these circuits may be many miles (kilometres) long. Higher data rates generally imply shorter ranges; a local area network operating at millions of bits per second may only cover one floor of an office building, but eliminates installation of dedicated network cabling.