Powerline Communication

1. INTRODUCTION

Connecting to the Internet is a fact of life for business, government, and

most households. The lure of e-commerce, video on demand, and e-mail has brought 60
million people to the Internet. Once they get to the Internet, they find out what it’s really
like. That includes long waits for popular sites, substantial waits for secure sites, and
horrible video quality over the web.
Telephone companies have offered high bandwidth lines for many years.
For the most part, the cost of these lines and the equipment needed to access them has
limited their usefulness to large businesses. The lone exception has been ISDN
(Integrated Services Digital Network) which has won over some residential customers.
ISDN offers fast Internet access (128k) at a relatively low cost.
Here the solution is Powerline communications (or PLC). Powerline
communications is a rapidly evolving market that utilizes electricity power lines for the
high-speed transmission of data and voice services.
None of the available Internet access services offer the right balance of
cost, convenience, and speed. Digital Powerline technology could change all that. It
gives customers high speed Internet access through electrical networks. Lower costs are
achieved because the service is implemented on standard electrical lines. The service is
also convenient
because it’s already in your home. Internet access through Digital Powerline would be
at (at least) 1Mbps, 20 times faster than a standard phone/modem connection.

2. HISTORY OF PLC

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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.

3. OVERVIEW OF TECHNOLOGY

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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 that combine the voice and
data signals with the low-voltage supply current in the local transformer stations. The
signal makes its way to neighborhoods and customers who could access either it
wirelessly, through utility poles.

Digital Powerline use a network, known as a High Frequency

Conditioned Power Network (HFCPN), to transmit data and electrical signals. A
HFCPN uses a series of Conditioning Units (CU) to filter those separate signals. The
CU sends electricity to the outlets in the home and data signals to a communication
module or "service unit". The service unit provides multiple channels for data, voice,
etc. Base station servers at local electricity substations connect to the Internet via fiber
or broadband coaxial cable. The end result is similar to a neighborhood local area
network.

3.1 THE SERVER:

The Digital Powerline base station is a standard rack mountable system

designed specifically for current street electricity cabinets. Typically, one street cabinet
contains twelve base station units, each capable of communicating over 1 of 40 possible
radio channels. These units connect to the public telecommunications network at E1 or
T1 (*see appendix D) speeds over some broadband service.

Several options, with different costs, can provide broadband Internet

service to each base station. The simplest solution is connecting leased lines to each
substation. This solution is potentially quite costly because of the number of lines
involved. A wireless system has also been suggested to connect base stations to the
Internet. This option reduces local loop fees, but increases hardware costs. Another
alternative involves running high bandwidth lines, along side electric lines, to
substations. These lines could be fiber (*See appendix C), ATM, or broadband coaxial

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cable. This option avoids local loop fees, but is beset by equipment fees. The actual
deployment of Digital Powerline will probably involve a mix of these alternatives,
optimized for cost efficiency in different areas and with different service providers.

These base stations typically serve approximately 50 customers,

providing over 20 MHz of usable spectrum to near end customers and between 6 and 10
MHz of useable spectrum to far end customers. The server operates via IP to create a
LAN type environment for each local service area.

3.2 THE HFCPN CONDITIONING UNIT:

The conditioning Unit (CU) for the Digital Powerline Network is placed
near the electric meter at each customer’s home. The CU uses band pass filters to
segregate the electricity and data signals, which facilitate the link between a customer’s
premise and an electricity substation.

The CU contains three coupling ports. The device receives aggregate

input from its Network Port (NP). This aggregate input passes through a high pass filter.
Filtering allows data signals to pass to a Communications Distribution Port (CDP) and a
low pass filter sends electric signals to the Electricity Distribution Port (EDP).
The 50 Hz signal flows from the low pass filter, out of the EDP and to
the electricity meter. The low pass filter also serves to attenuate extraneous noise
generated by electrical appliances at the customer premises. Left unconditioned, the
aggregation of this extraneous noise from multiple homes would cause significant
distortion in the network.

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Fig:1 -HFCPN Conditioning Unit

The high pass filter facilitates two way data traffic to and from the
customer premise. Data signals flow through the CDP to the customer’s service unit via
standard coaxial cable.

3.3 SERVICE UNIT:

The service unit is a wall or table mountable multi-purpose data

communications box. The unit facilitates data connections via BNC connectors to cable
modems and telephone connections via standard line termination jacks.

Fig:2-Service Unit

The service unit provides its own line power for ringing and contains a
battery backup in case of power outage. Alternative Differential Pulse Code Modulation
(ADPCM) is used for speech sampling. Because Digital Powerline allows for the

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termination of multiple radio signals at the customer premises, the service unit can
facilitate various Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) simultaneously. In a manner
similar to ISDN, data (computers) and voice (telephones) devices can coexist without
interfering with each other.

4. CASE STUDY

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4.1 Powerline Trials: Seymour Park Primary School:-

Fig:3-Stanley Rd. Distribution Grid

Digital Powerline technology was first tested in a public setting at the Seymour Park
Primary School in Manchester, UK. Twelve PCs were connected to a single Digital
Powerline outlet. Dedicated high-speed access to the Internet turned out to be a great
success in the eyes of students and teachers. Nortel’s Digital Powerline web site quotes
Seymour Head teacher, Jenny Dunn; "The high speed connection really lets us take
advantage of the educational potential of the Internet. With a normal connection the
children could lose interest waiting for pages to download. The new system means
information arrives virtually instantaneously, thereby maximizing teaching time and
keeping children on task. This set is amazingly flexible in educational terms, and not
only gives us the additional medium with which to improve standards, but prepares us
for the National Grid for Learning."

4.2 Powerline Trials: Stanley Road

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Following the success at Seymour Park, a more comprehensive trial was

initiated at the Stanley Road electricity substation, also located in Manchester. The crux
of this trial was to test the limits of Powerline technology and make sure that it could
meet industry standards even in worst case scenarios.

The Stanley Road substation was set up to use two distributors to serve
two distinct neighborhoods. Northumberland Close is located 350 meters from the
substation and Seymour Close is located 600 meters from the substation. Fifteen users
were chosen between the two neighborhoods to participate in the pilot program. They
received various data and telephone services as well as remote metering/information
services.

Unfortunately, the results of the trial are unobtainable. Nortel and

Nor.Web claim that the results of this trial and similar trials in the United States are
being protected for competitive reasons. The only indication of the trial’s success is a
subjective quote from Nor.Web. The quote states that "results produced over this period
have now proved conclusively that Nor.Web’s technology provides a commercially
viable alternative to established means of telecommunications delivery to customer
premises."

5. APPLICATION AREAS OFFERED BY PLC:

PLC offers end-users a broad spectrum of applications and services

including broadband Internet access, voice over IP, multimedia services,

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telecommunication, home automation and energy management(near energy services).

Powerline offers the opportunity for the PC to be integrated into the household as never
before. As part of the household power grid, PCs could easily be programmed to turn
off lights and control security devices.

5.1 Powerline telecommunication:

Powerline telecommunications is a rapidly evolving market that utilizes

electricity power lines for the high speed transmission of data and voice services. The
especially exciting thing about the potential for PLT is that it holds the promise of
solving the underlying structural problem confronting the local access market today.
PLT can provide the holy-grail of a much needed, highly elusive, alternative source of
ubiquitous local loops other than the incumbent telco operator, something we sadly have
yet to see happen on a sufficient scale and scope. Indeed, what make PLT so attractive
from a public policy point of view are the facts that:
• The power grid is ubiquitous; it constitutes an existing network infrastructure to
billions of private consumers and businesses
• The power grid offers last-mile conductivity

• The power grid supports information based services with strong growth
potential.

5.2 Home Automation:

The Home Plug Powerline Alliance (HPA), a U.S. consortium of 90

members, including such high-tech giants as Cisco, Intel, Motorola, and Hewlett-
Packard is working on technology to link appliances such as TVs, computers and
cookers via the home electrical system.

Appliance makers like Samsung Electronics Co. have been solidifying

cooperation with their technology partners to enable them to market Internet-

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controllable home appliances this year. Samsung plans to set up a “Dream LG” site on
its homepage to advertise its Internet-enabled products to potential customers.

5.3 Internet access:

Last December Intellon announced its PowerPacketTM Powerline

networking chipset, the first product certified as compliant with the HPA’s 1.0
Specification introduced earlier that year. The chipset allows users to access the Internet
and connect computers and other devices at speeds up to 14 mbps by simply plugging
into power outlets throughout a home or small office.

5.4 Power management (near energy services):

Near energy services are defined as energy services with in the confines
of current business which ads new forms, features and scales. Examples are remote
billing, remote metering, demand side e management distribution automation and
remote control of supply. Advantages of such system for utilities lie in their potential
for cost cutting and improving customer loyalty.

6. POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL

POWERLINE COMMUNICATION

This telecommunications model has multiple advantages over others

including speed, an established local loop, and dedicated connections. These advantages
make Digital Powerline technology an attractive alternative for telecommunications
systems.

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In the Digital Powerline model, small LANs are created; they terminate
at each local electricity substation. These LANs will share a T1/E1 connection to the
Internet, similar to a corporation leasing a T1 line. Individual users should experience
tremendous speed increases over conventional 28.8kbs or 56kps dialup connections,
even at peak usage.

Another inherent advantage to the Digital Powerline model is the fact

that it works well over the existing electric power infrastructure (at least in the UK, see
the Limitations section below). Only the substation server equipment and customer
conditioning/service units need to be installed in order to establish a Digital Powerline
network.

Dedicated, multipurpose communication lines make the Digital

Powerline model an attractive option for the information age. Wide bandwidth and
frequency division multiplexing allow for multiple lines to a single household. Ideally,
an entire family could utilize their own communication devices simultaneously, whether
telephone or PC, without interrupting one another.
Powerline carry signals for long distances without requiring
regeneration. Their near light speed propagation makes them very powerful for fast
delivery of video and audio data. There is no topology limitation for power lines.

High transmission rate, right now 3 mbps in uploading and downloading.

The data transmission rate is expected up to 200 mbps in the future by improving the
PLC chip.

Permanent on-line connection with the potential for lower charges. No

need for complicated wiring and additional installations. Move your computers and
appliances where you want. Secure data-encryption. Lower investment costs compared
to those envisaged for other broadband data access systems.

7. Potential Extensions to Digital Powerline Technology:

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There are many possible extensions to the Digital Powerline model.

Those mentioned in reviews and technical journals include "the wired home" and
remote customer information services. Since Digital Powerline creates a LAN type
environment by running IP, people could theoretically control all of the appliances in
their home from their PC or a remote device. Each home on the neighborhood LAN
would operate as a sub-network of the LAN and each electrical outlet could be treated
as a node on that sub-network.

The Nortel web site predicts, "It could also be feasible to have an Internet
address for every plug in the house, through which you could e-mail, for example:
‘fridge@home’ and study the picture relayed by the video camera to see what shopping
you require; or you could remotely turn the lights off and the burglar alarm on using
your own password."

Remote services such as remote metering have already been tested under
this model and many more services are possible. Because the service provider can keep
track of electricity and bandwidth usage via the network, customers will also be able to
monitor their usage, reliably predict billing and keep an eye on household usage (i.e. the
teenager’s phone usage).

8. CURRENT LIMITATIONS OF DIGITAL POWERLINE

TECHNOLOGY

8.1 Electro-Magnetic Radiation Issues:

Powerline solutions, like phone line solutions, are unintentional

radiators. Emissions can potentially cause interference with radio, television,
community antenna television, telephone and DSL services.

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Second generation PLC technologies are using techniques like OFDM,

which substantially reduce the potential of interference to radio users, thanks to a
decrease in transmitted power spectral density. The OFDM modulation spreads the
signal over a very wide bandwidth, thus reducing the amount on power injected at a
single frequency. Field trials of PLC technologies carried out during the last 2 years in
Europe (Spain, Italy, Germany), North America, South America (Chile, Brazil) and
Asia (Singapore) have shown that interference with radio users is no longer a problem
for PLC. The same technique explains why current PLC technology does not affect
other appliances in the home.

8.2 Addressing Issue:

As the number of users and devices connected to Power Lines increases

by orders of magnitude, it becomes clear that we cannot satisfy the demand using
IPv4/NAT, at least not without enormous administrative complexity. A much larger
address space is needed to provide end-to-end connectivity in a simple manner and to
allow new applications and services to work in a transparent manner.

Clearly, the solution of problem is with IPv6, or Next Generation

Internet Addresses (IPNG) unlimited address space of IPv6 is needed to provide end-to-
end connectivity and allow new applications and services to work in a transparent
manner across PLC networks at massive scale (imagine every power socket in Beijing
or Mumbai becoming an Internet access point!).

8.3 Security:

The transmission of data over a network that anybody has access to could
also pose a data security problem, however. Tapping the signal could allow somebody
to eavesdrop on communications. Only data encryption eliminates that problem.

8.4 Noise interference:

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Power line networking is also vulnerable to interference from devices

connected to the power infrastructure, such as microwaves and computers.
This can be solved by either using repeaters or dynamic chang of
frequencies.

8.5 Regulatory and standardization issues:

Powerline's maximum access speed is shared with all users connected to

the same local network station. The more people that are simultaneously on the Internet,
the lower the speed obtained.

Several implementation issues have held back Digital Powerline in North

America and the UK. Respectively, the problems are the numbers of users per
transformer and the size and shape of light poles.

In North America, a transformer serves from 5 to 10 households while in

Europe a transformer serves 150 households. Digital Powerline signals cannot pass
through a transformer. Therefore, all electrical substation equipment needed for Digital
Powerline has to be located after the transformer. Since there are fewer households per
transformer in North America, predicted equipment costs are prohibitive. However, this
conclusion has been debated. Analysts suggest that 100% subscription rates are possible
in the US, and that at such rates Digital Powerline is profitable. Conventional wisdom
suggests that there is a way to make Digital Powerline profitable in North America,
whether it is through bundling a variety of services or higher fees.

Soon after the first trials of Digital Powerline in the UK, some
unanticipated problems arose. Certain radio frequencies were suddenly deluged with
traffic, making it impossible to transmit on those frequencies. BBC, amateur radio, and
the UK’s emergency broadcasting service were affected. The apparent culprits were
standard light poles. Then it became clear that by pure chance British light poles were
the perfect size and shape to broadcast Digital Powerline signals. This situation posed
problems not just because of the frequencies involved but also because anyone could

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listen in on the traffic. Nor.Web is addressing the problem by proposing to lease the
frequencies involved from their owners and offering amateur radio operators a new
frequency. Negotiations on this topic are currently taking place in London. The privacy
issue has not been fully addressed at this point, besides suggestions that all sensitive
information should be encrypted.

While the promise of Powerline Telecommunications is great, it is

important for everyone to understand that this technology is in its infancy and there are
several hurdles the Powerline industry is working hard to overcome to make PLT a true
close substitute to the existing incumbent public switched telephone network (PSTN) in
the United States. Specifically, the main weaknesses of PLT products and services are
that:

(a) They are still at the developmental stage;

(b) There is no significant installed customer base to date;
(c) And the distances that Powerline technology can cover are limited.

Moreover, the industry is working hard to resolve the complex issues of

standardization and interoperability.

9. THE MARKET OF DIGITAL POWER LINE

Trends in both the electric and telecommunications industry have lead to a

climate where Digital Powerline should be a big player. These trends include customer
demand for affordable and high speed Internet access, deregulation of electrical utilities,
and the repercussions of a variety of telecommunications legislation.

Customers want cheaper, faster, and more reliable access to the Internet right
now. Not only can Digital Powerline provide that type of service, but it will be available

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before other broadband access technologies. Therefore Digital Powerline has both a
time to market and cost advantage.

The utility industry is facing deregulation in North America, Europe, and some
parts of Asia. Deregulation means increased competition in the slow growing electricity
market with little protection for utilities. An unenviable position indeed. Consequently,
many utilities are actively seeking to diversify into other, more profitable, industries.
For many utilities telecommunications and Internet services have been a sensible
choice. That option can only become more popular as Digital Powerline matures.

Digital Powerline offers a deregulated utility several options and advantages. The
utility can either lease the rights to implement Digital Powerline on its electrical grid or
develop the technology itself. The advantages include the low cost of the local loop,
differentiating the utility from other utilities, and bundling a variety of services.

The most recent telecommunications act has tried to make it easier for all types
of telecommunications firms to sell local services and long distance services. However,
Regional Bells actually have control over local lines and charge other companies who
place calls on their lines. Many of the larger phone companies have sought to get around
these charges by building or leasing their own networks to connect to local points.
Digital Powerline is an existing network that fits those needs. Expect to see smaller
telecommunications companies partnering with electrical utilities to provide alternative
local phone service.

9.1 Who is testing or has tested the technology?

PLC abroad:
Proof that the PLC concept works in practice was furnished by a series of
field trials by Main.net of Israel, ASCOM of Switzerland and some other companies in
16 European countries from Portugal to Scandinavia, as well as in Hong Kong, Korea,
India, Singapore and the Americas. These trials fulfilled all expectations of reliability,
functionality and the practical applications of Powerline communications. The first

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installations are now already up and running or about to go live.

Users in Germany include the electricity companies RWE Energie Essen

and EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg, while in Spain the energy and telecoms group
Endesa uses PLC technology. Lina.Net of Iceland, a subsidiary of Reykjavik Energy,
has recently begun introducing PLC technology with the declared objective of providing
private households with fast Internet access over the power grid rather than the
telephone network. In Sweden SYDKRAFT, one of the leading energy providers in
Scandinavia uses PLC for bridging the last mile as well as for networking inside
buildings.

PLC in USA:
New York-based Ambient - which will partner with Cisco, perhaps the
technology's largest supporter, and Bechtel on future projects - is working with the
utility Consolidated Edison of New York and Southern Telecom of Atlanta, a subsidiary
of Southern Co., a leading energy company to expand its testing to several hundred
homes. Results indicated that high frequency data transmissions could be transmitted
and received over distances of more than half a mile, with minimal signal loss. In recent
months, Ambient has achieved throughput speeds in excess of 20 mbps, and
connectivity over distances of 1.5 miles. Up to 200 users can be supported on a single
distribution circuit. Pricing for the systems is not yet available. Ambient expects to go
fully commercial with its systems by first quarter 2003.
Powerline Technologies in Reston, Virginia, is trying out its system with
two utilities in the East and one in the Midwest. Earlier last year, the company finished
initial PLT tests in suburban Atlanta, where a handful of households accessed the Net
through a specially designed modem that can hit speeds greater than 1.5 mbps.

Owing to recent advances for PLC in Europe, and the efforts of a handful
of U.S. PLC vendors – including one backed by American Electric Power (AEP), PLC
is closer to being a commercial reality in the U.S. than ever before. Beta tests scheduled
by each of these firms over the next 12 months will be crucial to resolving outstanding

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technical hurdles, standardizing equipment and deployment techniques, and building

interest and partnerships with utilities.

10. CONCLUSION

Digital Powerline technology is an exciting alternative to connecting to

the Internet via phone and modem. Though this technology is not commercially
available yet, it should be available before other broadband technologies due to the
relatively low cost of its local loop. Moreover, its high speeds will provide Internet
access, video on demand, local phone, and long distance phone services to customers.

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11. REFERENCES

1.www.powerlineworld.com/powerlineintro.html
2. www.powerlinecommunications.net/
3. www.powerline-plc.com
4. www.powerline.com
5. O’Neal Jr., J.B. (1986) "The residential power circuit as a
communication medium," IEEE
Trans. on Consumer Electronics, vol.
CE-32, No. 3, pp. 567-577.
6. Malek, J.A. & Engstorm, J.R. (1976)
"R.F. impedance of United States
and European power lines," IEEE
Trans. on Elec. Comp., vol. EMC-
18, pp. 36-38.

7. www.google.com
8. www.wikipedia.com

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