Fast
Internet access is growing from a convenience into a necessity in all
aspects of our daily lives. Unfortunately, this has been held back by
the high expenses of wiring infrastructure essential to deliver such
high-speed internet access especially to private homes, small offices
and rural areas, where the installation of any kind of new wires tilts
the scales of the economic feasibility to a non-profitable state. This
problem is known as the “last mile problem” which has been an active
area of research throughout research community.
But if broadband could
be served through power lines, there would be no need to build a new
infrastructure. Anywhere there is electricity there could be broadband.
Broadband over Power Line (BPL) is a technology which allows
transmission of data over the same lines used to transmit electrical
power. Through signal modulation of existing power, electrical
utilities can transmit low frequency signals at 50 Hz to 60 Hz (normal
alternating current [AC] power) and higher frequency signals (data)
above 1 MHz without any mutual interference. Power line communications
uses the radio frequency (RF) signal sent over medium and low voltage
AC power lines to allow end users to connect to the Internet. The RF
signal is modulated with digital information that is converted by a
modem in the home or small business into Ethernet-compatible data.
Historically, power utilities have used alternating current (AC) power
line distribution facilities to carry information by coupling radio
frequency (RF) energy to AC electrical wiring in houses or buildings.
In the past, these devices have operated on frequencies below 2 MHz
with limited communications capabilities. Due to power line
characteristics it has been difficult to achieve dependable high-speed
communications. However, technological advancements have resulted in
the development of new systems which have overcome these technical
obstacles. Trials have demonstrated that high-speed communication voice
and data services can be achieved using the existing medium-voltage
(MV) and low-voltage (LV) power distribution grid.
