Broadband Over Powerline Communication

Smart Meters Australia

2006-07-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

NSW power utility Energy Australia is planning to test a new breed of advanced electricity meter with 10,000 customers as it moves to install a half-million so-called smart meters over the next two years.
To transmit the data, the advanced metering trial will also test several communications systems, including cellular wireless and broadband over powerline.
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/

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CEO of Arkados and Homeplug Alliance

2006-07-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

Oleg Logvinov, President and CEO of Arkados Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of CDKnet.com (OTCBB:CDKN), is joining with leaders from Conexant, Intel, Intellon, and Radio Shack to address how HomePlug powerline communication standards can be incorporated into exciting products for the growing connected home marketplace. Arkados has been active within the HomePlug Powerline Alliance since its inception.

TATUNG ANNOUNCES 200MBPS POWERLINE FOR HOME NETWORK

2006-07-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

Tatung today unveiled a 200 megabits per second (Mbps) Powerline Ethernet Adapter and Kit that enables consumers to tap into existing electrical wiring for extension of their home network. Any Ethernet-ready device can easily be added to a home network using the new Tatung Powerline adapters, and the technology is ideally suited for next generation applications such as high-definition media streaming, music sharing and online multi-player gaming.

Connecting to the home network simply requires plugging one adapter to a router and the other to an Ethernet-ready device such as a personal computer, High Definition TV, digital video recorder, SlingBox,game console(VBOX), printer server .

Google and Current Communcations BPL

2006-07-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

Ethernet-over-powerline service provider Current Communications Group LLC has received "strategic investments" from some new big-name backers in the form of Goldman Sachs & Co., Google (Nasdaq: GOOG - message board), and The Hearst Corporation (see Google Backs Current Comms).
While Current says it's not revealing any financial details, the Wall Street Journal reported that the round, which included input from existing investors EnerTech Capital and Liberty Associated Partners, LP, was around $100 million.
Google is saying little about its involvement other than the following statement: "As part of our corporate mission, we are interested in promoting universal access to the internet for users. We support and partner with a variety of solutions for internet access."

ASM SpA Chooses MainNet's PLUS Solutions

2006-06-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

RAANANA, Israel, June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- MainNet, a market leader in BPL/PLC solutions, today announced the launch of AmrPLUS(TM) - the Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) system capable of remote operation via an existing power grid - extending the company's advanced, end-to-end BPL product line.
The new AmrPLUS was selected by ASM SpA, the Northern Italian electric company (listed on the Milan Stock Exchange as "ASM") for the largest multi-utility Broadband AMR project known to date, with a total value estimated at US$7.5m.
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/
2006/06/26/1695311.htm

NETGEAR® Launches 200 Mbps Powerline Solution

2006-06-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

NETGEAR®, Inc. announced the availability of the 200 Mbps Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter and Kit. The Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter enables consumers to seamlessly connect a personal computer, digital video recorder, game console or other Ethernet-ready device to their home network. It distributes high-speed, high-performance, affordable broadband throughout the home, without the need to run any cabling between rooms.

NETGEAR’s Powerline HD Ethernet Adapters turn any AC electrical outlet into an HD-streaming, high-speed Ethernet broadband connection – for real-time high-quality video, gaming and VoIP. NETGEAR’s Powerline HD Ethernet Adapter offers built-in Video Quality of Service (VQoS) for consistent performance with encrypted security, at unprecedented data rates, to seamlessly stream high-definition video throughout the entire home. The VQoS feature ensures that video and gaming traffic is prioritized above all other network traffic so that HD video streams are free of interruption from others using the network.

Earthlink Broadband Over Power Line

2006-03-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

Introducing the latest in high-speed access, EarthLink Broadband over Power Line (BPL) high-speed service – powered by Con Edison and Ambient Corporation's Power Line Communication technology. With speeds up to 1-3Mbps (that’s 25x-60x faster than dial-up),* based on the average speed between a 28.8k modem and a 56k modem, our lightning fast BPL technology lets you download the latest movie clips, music files, and games in the blink of an eye, and slashes your research time by minutes.

Europe Approves Broadband Powerline Communications

2006-02-24T07:57:00.000-08:00

Efforts to use electricity cables to transmit data took a step forward in Europe with the publication of an open specification for power line communications (PLC).

The Open PLC European Research Alliance (OPERA), which is partly funded by the European Commission, said its specification will accelerate the development of products that use powerlines for broadband Internet access, voice and video services, as well as utility applications such as automatic meter reading.

The approval of the specification, announced Tuesday, comes after more than two years of development by a consortium of experts from 35 organizations, including 10 universities.

Products based on the specification will deliver speeds of more than 200M bps (bits per second), according to OPERA. It is based on OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) modulation and offers both FD (Frequency Division) and TD (Time Division) repeating capabilities.
http://www.itworldcanada.com/a/News/20241843-179d-4f8a-900e-225a6186c3a4.html

UPA 2006 Plan for Powerline Standards

2006-02-13T07:27:00.000-08:00

Universal Powerline Association to Provide Basis for International Standardization for Broadband Access and AV Home Networking

The Universal Powerline Association (UPA) unveiled its work program for 2006 at its annual general meeting. The group intends to build on the coexistence specification published in 2005 and to further promote the capabilities of powerline communications (PLC) to deliver global solutions for broadband access and home networking.

"The UPA is now firmly established as the only independent industry body bringing together the global PLC community and speaking of the need for sound, solid standards based on coexistence and interoperability," said Eric Morel, president of the UPA. "In just one year, since its launch at CES in 2005, membership in the UPA has doubled, and even greater increases are expected in 2006 based on the significant interest shown by players in the PLC field."

The most recent recruits to be welcomed to the UPA are Toshiba Electronics, PCN Technology, AcBel Polytech Inc, Tecnocom and Telekom research and Development SDN BHD (Malaysia).

In 2006, the UPA will continue to work with global standards bodies; the IEEE, ETSI and other pertinent industry organizations - to establish worldwide standards that enable technological coexistence and interoperability between broadband access and home networking PLC applications.

BPL Technology in Manassas Complete, Ham Radio Addressed

2006-01-25T10:11:00.000-08:00

Communication Technologies, Inc. (COMTek) said today that it has voluntarily adjusted nearly 600 broadband over powerline (BPL) devices in Manassas, VA, and that there remains no "documented basis for further ham radio operator concerns" about the firm's nationally recognized BPL system in the city.

COMTek said that any meaningful issues or concerns about BPL in Manassas will be addressed in full and should be directed to Customer Service at (703) 365-8211. COMTek BPL network now serves 900 home and business subscribers in Manassas and is progressing steadily to the 1000th customer milestone. The Chantilly, Va.-based company's network in Manassas is the first commercial deployment of BPL in the nation to use a city-wide electricity grid to provide individual homes and businesses with direct "plug in" broadband access through electric sockets, rather than over phone or cable TV lines.

COMTek Vice President Walt Adams said: "...we know of fewer than half a dozen ham radio operator complaints, each of which COMTek has gone to truly extraordinary lengths to address. ... The opposition from these almost entirely non-Manassas individuals and their national organization appears to be grounded in a fundamental opposition to BPL rather than any hard facts."

Universal Powerline Association Broadband Powerline

2006-01-13T09:39:00.000-08:00

The Universal Powerline Association announced at its annual meeting that it was backing the standardization effort based on the specs developed by Open PLC European Alliance, which were demonstrated in the European, Asian and U.S. markets last year.

The organization that was formed last year maintains that a worldwide PLC specification will assure service providers and customers that PLC will be compatible with equipment and content.

The group will also continue working on the Digital Home Specification that will provide seamless interfaces between in-home PLC (power line communications) wiring and cable, DSL and PLC broadband services.

Motorola’s BPL solution receives UL approval

2006-01-11T06:31:00.000-08:00

Motorola’s Powerline LV modem this week received approval from Underwriters Laboratories (UL), meaning the vendor giant can begin shipping its broadband over power line (BPL) solution in the next month, company officials said.
UL approval also will let Motorola continue its testing with ARRL, the national association for the amateur radio community, said Dick Illman, a member the advanced wireless team in Motorola special markets division of engineering.
ARRL has been vocal in its criticism of many BPL systems that generate interference-causing emissions from broadband signals being transmitted over medium-voltage power lines. Motorola’s Powerline LV solution avoids this problem by using a Canopy wireless architecture to transmit the broadband signal to the transformer server an area, from which only low-voltage wires are used.

Although Motorola halted its tests with ARRL while seeking UL approval, tests conducted in the fall with ARRL were “perfect—there was no interference” to the BPL system or ham operations, Illman said.
In addition to removing medium-voltage lines from the interference equation, Powerline LV also utilizes notching—a practice used successfully by BPL vendor Current Technologies—to prevent transmissions on frequencies that could cause problems,” said Mary Ashe, business development manager for Motorola.

Broadband over Powerline in Texas

2005-12-30T08:55:00.000-08:00

Dallas-based TXU Electric Delivery said it will bein offering its electric utility customers so-called broadband over power lines next year in a partnership with Current Communications Group of Germantown, MD.
The company said it will transform its power distribution network into what it claims will be the nation's first broadband-enabled electric grid.
That means a true "plug-and-play" high-speed Internet service for the company's customers in North Texas and in areas of West Texas.

Venezuela power company to offer broadband

2005-12-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

Venezuela's state-run power company Cadafe will soon offer broadband service over its transmission lines.
China's Zhongxing Telecom Equipment will provide the Internet service to rival the planned powerline-broadband project announced two months ago by Venezuela's largest private power company, EDC.
Cadafe operates Venezuela's backbone power transmission network with an estimated 2.5 million customers. The broadband project involves an investment of $132 million and installation of about 5,600 miles of fiber optics.

Intellon Unveils World's First HomePlug(R) AV Integrated Circuit

2005-12-12T08:05:00.000-08:00

Intellon Corporation, the global leader in HomePlug-compatible integrated circuits (ICs) for home networking, networked entertainment and broadband over powerline (BPL) applications, today announced the world's first integrated circuit (IC) based on the new 200Mbps HomePlug AV specification. Designated the INT6000, the new IC will enable multiple high-definition video streams to be distributed over existing home powerlines, coaxial cable or other wiring with whole-house coverage, low latency and robust Quality of Service (QoS).
"The INT6000 will change the way people distribute entertainment content in their homes," said Charlie Harris, Chairman and CEO of Intellon Corporation. "With the INT6000, any consumer electronics product, PC, broadband modem, set top box, personal video recorder or flat-screen display can share robust high definition video and audio by simply plugging the product into a convenient electrical outlet. Intellon is proud to continue its global leadership in powerline communications by being the first company to introduce an IC based on the widely-anticipated HomePlug AV specification."

India Hotel to install Broadband over PowerLine

2005-12-08T20:21:00.000-08:00

Trimax Corporation (OTC BB:TMXO.OB - News), through its wholly owned subsidiary, PLC Network Solutions ("PLC"), announced today that it has signed an LOI with The Bristol Hotel in Gurgaon, New Delhi, India to install its Broadband over PowerLine (BPL) devices and bundled services.
The Bristol Hotel is a 5-Star Deluxe business and leisure Hotel with 95 rooms and luxury suites that are equipped with personal bars, Jacuzzis and roof top gardens. The Hotel has Banquet facilities that accommodate up to 3,000 guests.

Ariane Controls joins the Homeplug(R) Powerline Alliance

2005-12-07T13:19:00.000-08:00

Ariane Controls announced today that it is joining the ranks of the Homeplug® Powerline Alliance, an important industry-led initiative comprised of market leaders. The Alliance is currently preparing for the development of a specification for an advanced command and control technology, known as HPCC (HomePlug Command & Control). This low- speed, very low-cost specification is intended to complement the alliance's higher-speed powerline communications technologies.

KlikVU Movies via Electric Outlets (BPL)

2005-12-03T22:18:00.000-08:00

KlikVU, Inc. announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Gridline Communications Holdings Inc., a publicly-held Delaware corporation, to stream Video On Demand programming, including Movies TV sports, foreign language films, etc. via Microsoft Windows Media to Gridline subscribers worldwide. Under the terms of the MOU, KlikVU's content may be streamed through Gridline's Broadband via Powerline (BPL) network to customers worldwide.

PLC Network Solutions to Install 205 Mbps BPL Network in Dancom Pakistan

2005-11-30T01:59:00.000-08:00

Trimax Corporation (OTC BB: TMXO), through its wholly owned subsidiary, PLC Network Solutions Inc. ("PLC"), announced today it will be installing its next-generation 205 Mbps Broadband over Powerline (BPL) devices in the corporate offices of Dancom Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd in Islamabad. PLC will be traveling to South Asia with its technical team in January to deploy its Broadband over Powerline equipment and train Dancom employees with its technology.

Derek Pepler, President of PLC Network Solutions, said: "We are pleased that Dancom has chosen to install our 205 Mbps Broadband over Powerline equipment in their offices. In growing office environments like Dancom's, both cost and flexibility are a major consideration. When shifting offices or adding desks, BPL makes a lot of sense from a wiring standpoint because your networked broadband connection is as close as the next electrical outlet. Dancom's clients include major businesses in Pakistan ranging from the Karachi Stock Exchange to Pakistan's best hotel, the Serena. PLC Network Solutions has generated a lot of interest for BPL across South Asia, and Dancom's offices will act as a great showcase for us."

Broadband over Powerline Give Utilities Revenue

2005-11-29T09:42:00.000-08:00

Though still a niche market, broadband networking over power lines — whether in the home or in the wider area — could turn out to be a major revenue earner for power utilities, according to a just published report form ABI Research.

The researchers say BPL has the general blessing of governments and a reservoir of underdeveloped markets in eastern Europe, China, India and other regions lacking a well-developed communications infrastructure. But, according to Vamsi Sistla, ABI Research's director of broadband, digital home and media, BPL could also benefit legacy businesses such as power utilities in the industrialized world.

"Innovation in powerline technologies may or may not add to power utilities' revenues immediately," he says, "but the cost savings they enable will certainly help their bottom lines." He adds a fringe benefit of using a region's power grid to carry broadband access networks is that it makes the electricity distribution and monitoring system visible to managers as never before.

Grafting a broadband network onto the power grid, on the other hand, means completely remote, automated meter reading, as well as instant reporting of outages and system failures.
"ABI Research believes the utility industry should focus on these low hanging fruits, even more than building BPL capabilities to generate additional revenue," notes Sistla.
www.commsdesign.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=174402477

Allied SCS and Advanced Powerline Technologies, Inc., Joint Venture

2005-11-29T07:21:00.000-08:00

Advanced Powerline Technologies, Inc., (Pink Sheets:APWL) announces today that Allied Supply Chain Solutions, LLC and Advanced Powerline Technologies, Inc., have formed a joint venture for the sales and marketing of the Advanced Powerline Technologies, Inc., line of consumer electronics.

Allied SCS will focus on the development of high volume sales channels for the initial line of Advanced Powerline Technologies, Inc., products including LCD Monitors and associated accessories.

Allied Supply Chain Solutions, LLC focuses on all aspects of World Wide Business including product manufacturing, component sourcing and product development.

Advanced Powerline Technologies, Inc.'s principal business focus is to create and develop Broadband over Power Line (BPL) and Power Line Communications (PLC) friendly devices, products and services.

Networking: Investment Boom Underway

2005-11-28T10:54:00.000-08:00

Companies are also working in strategic collaborations with others -- like the HomePlug Alliance (www.homeplug.org) -- to drive the adoption of technologies that may change the way networking is done, at least for homes and home offices, in the future.

Leading players like Intel, Sony, Radio Shack, Intellon and Arkados are part of the consortium, which is developing technologies that enable homes to network all their appliances -- including Ethernet networks, wireless networks, TV and appliances -- over conventional power lines.

"There is considerable renewed interest in power line products to support the growing consumer demand for increased network reach with reliable throughput," said Joyce Putscher, an analyst at In-Stat, an IT market research firm, Waltham, Mass.

The HomePlug Alliance is developing specifications for power line communications technologies, and focusing on developing a new market for those technologies, a spokeswoman said.

"For many applications in the digital home, a power line device offers a useful alternative to a networking solutions, especially with the faster speeds of this next generation of 85 Mbps technology," said Kartik Gada, the product line manager at Netgear, Inc., a Santa Clara, Calif.-based developer of power line networking technologies.

New Powerline Products for Christmas 2005

2005-11-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

Netgear (www.netgear.com) jumped the gun on the holiday season with not one, but two different products. The RangeMax 240 wireless router incorporates Airgo Network's third-generation MIMO chip set to deliver raw data rates of up to 240 Mbps; around 120 Mbps effective once the smoke clears. It also includes support for the WPA-2-PSK security and on-board hardware support for 128 bit AES, TTIP, and WEP. There's also built-in denial-of-service (DoS) attack protection and intrusion detection and prevention, plus some other widgets to support time-based usage controls and "trusted user" controls. The four-port router version of the RangeMax 240 will set you back $199 list while the notebook adaptor will list at $129.

If you aren't comfy with Wi-Fi being "secure," Netgear's second option is powerline technology in an 85 Mbps wall-plugged Ethernet switch, the XE104. First-generation PLT maxes out at a paltry 14 Mbps, so while it's not quite full up Fast Ethernet, it gets pretty close. And unlike wireless tech, PLT is relatively straight-forward: you plug it in, and it works, specifically, plug it into the wall and plug an Ethernet cable to it.

The XE104 includes a four-port Fast Ethernet hub, so it's likely to go over equally well in a small office environment as well as in the home. Available in 110 volt US or 220-volt for Europe, you'll need two of the gizmos to "extend" your network. One goes next to your broadband router, and the other goes next to wherever in the household you can find an electrical wall plug. List price for one is $99.99. Only drawback is the 85 Mbps Intellon-based design isn't a formal standard, so mixing-and-matching higher-speed PLT devices from other vendors is likely to be done at your own risk.

If you can wait until after the holidays, Panasonic will supposedly be showing and maybe shipping up to 170 Mbps PLT technology at CES in January. The company demoed its proprietary high-speed technology at this year's CES and also at more recent consumer shows in Japan. Will it meet the HomePlug AV standard? Don't know. <> For still higher-speeds in the PLT arena, HomePlug AV was finalized over the summer and products should be demoing at CES and shipping by next holiday season. The make-everybody-happy standard will support up to 200 Mbps raw data rates over home wiring, plus support for distributing HD TV signals, VoIP quality-of-service management, audio distribution, and the kitchen sink. The big picture vision is to build HomePlug AV into everything from PCs to TV sets and PVRs and even into the fridge and oven. In addition, HomePlug AV should/will have peaceful coexistence with broadband over powerline (BPL) and backwards compatibility with slow-ride 14 Mbps HomePlug 1.0 devices. µ

New Agreement to Install Broadband Over PowerLine Technology in India

2005-11-28T10:34:00.000-08:00

New Agreement Forged to Install Broadband Over PowerLine Technology in India Hotels and Shopping Mall

Trimax Corporation, through its wholly owned subsidiary, PLC Network Solutions ("PLC"), has signed an LOI with The BI Group of Companies, New Delhi, to install its Broadband over PowerLine (BPL) devices and bundled services at two hotels and a major shopping mall owned by the company. The Hotels include the Holiday Inn, Agra, and The Hotel Marina, New Delhi, India. The Ansal Plaza shopping mall in Ludhiana is the first of its kind in Punjab with major international brands such as Nike, Reebok, Levis, Benetton, McDonald's and KFC.

The BI Group's Holiday Inn Hotel in Agra is a 5-Star business and leisure hotel in the city of the world famous Taj Mahal. The Hotel has 150 rooms and 4 suites. The hotel has also banquet facilities for up to 2,000 people. Due to demand, the hotel has added another 50 rooms and an additional banquet hall for up to 800 guests. The Marina Hotel, New Delhi, is a heritage landmark hotel in the heart of Connaught Place. It is a 100-room hotel that is soon to undergo renovations, which is being given importance by the New Delhi Government. After the renovations, the hotel will be renamed the Radisson Marina Hotel which is a franchise of Carlson Hospitality, USA.

Efforts to Reform Universal Service Fund

2005-11-18T11:05:00.000-08:00

As the FCC considers reformation of the Universal Service Fund, Congress has its own ideas for change. Meanwhile, the Keep USF Fair Coalition is taking sides against the FCC and Chairman Kevin Martin’s support of a numbers-based system, and professing ideas more in line with a newly proposed House bill.

The numbers-based system would asses USF fees of $1-$2 more per month to everyone with a landline telephone, regardless of whether consumers make long-distance calls. Martin supports this method, as opposed to the current revenue-based system, or the proposal that the government levy charges based on the number of connections – whether Internet, landline or cable – per household.

One of the most widely floated ideas is to broaden the required base of contributors so the USF continues to grow, promoting rural broadband and wireless infrastructure investment and access. Indeed, that is the approach the Keep USF Fair Coalition supports, as well as Congressmen Rick Boucher (D-Va.) and Lee Terry (R-Neb.), who on Thursday unveiled draft legislation called the Universal Service Reform Act of 2005.

Boucher and Terry’s proposed legislation would require any entity paying into the USF under the current system, such as long-distance providers, to contribute, as well as cable telephony and VoIP providers, and providers offering network connections for a fee to the public – including DSL, cable modem, WiMAX and broadband over powerline providers – to pay into the fund.

The proposed bill calls for input by Dec. 23 and will not be considered before next year. Boucher and Terry say they want to encourage broadband deployment in rural areas, and their bill would require recipients of USF payments to deploy broadband with download speeds of at least 1mbps within the first five years of the bill’s enactment.

The legislation also seeks to reduce the pool of carriers asking for universal service funding by requiring providers to meet specific conditions, and by compensating eligible carriers based on their actual costs of providing service. The bill also calls for help resolving the problem of phantom traffic, which would increase the amount of intercarrier compensation carriers receive. The act also would change the USF’s rural health care support mechanism by making sure rural medical facilities do not pay more than urban health care providers for services including broadband.