Activate Email 
INDUSTRIES
INDUSTRIES
Broadband & Mobile Featured Article
May 28, 2008
New Powerline Standard
By Gary Kim Contributing Editor
The Telecommunications Industry Association (News - Alert) has developed a standard defining a data modem that operates on electrical wiring (AC power lines) on the user premises.
TIA (News - Alert)-1113 “Medium-Speed (up to 14 Mbps) Power Line Communications (PLC) Modems using Windowed OFDM” is touted as a way to help revolutionize broadband-speed residential and networked Internet and multimedia access, allowing electrical wires to serve as a conduit for both power and data for any device.
If I had to guess right now, I'd argue that the standard is more likely to provide a foundation for machine-to-machine communications, rather than conventional broadband access. In terms of positioning, the standard might more nearly be a substitute for Wi-Fi
than for a cable modem, digital subscriber line or fiber to home connection as well.
Standardization in the powerline communications industry is recognized as important because of the number of devices in the market, which TIA pegs at more than 18 million to date, and the increasing growth of this industry.
The TIA subcommittee used contributions based on Homeplug1.0 powerline technology to develop the standard. The technology, most widely used for in-the-home broadband-speed communications and multimedia distribution, is also being deployed in to-the-home Internet access, hotels and commercial buildings, and on-the-grid energy-saving “green” power and smart-grid implementations.
Gary Kim (News - Alert) is a TMCnet Contributing Editor,
Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users. Today’s featured white paper is Fixed Service Strategies for Mobile Network Operators, brought to you by Comverse (News - Alert).
TIA (News - Alert)-1113 “Medium-Speed (up to 14 Mbps) Power Line Communications (PLC) Modems using Windowed OFDM” is touted as a way to help revolutionize broadband-speed residential and networked Internet and multimedia access, allowing electrical wires to serve as a conduit for both power and data for any device.
If I had to guess right now, I'd argue that the standard is more likely to provide a foundation for machine-to-machine communications, rather than conventional broadband access. In terms of positioning, the standard might more nearly be a substitute for Wi-Fi
than for a cable modem, digital subscriber line or fiber to home connection as well.Standardization in the powerline communications industry is recognized as important because of the number of devices in the market, which TIA pegs at more than 18 million to date, and the increasing growth of this industry.
The TIA subcommittee used contributions based on Homeplug1.0 powerline technology to develop the standard. The technology, most widely used for in-the-home broadband-speed communications and multimedia distribution, is also being deployed in to-the-home Internet access, hotels and commercial buildings, and on-the-grid energy-saving “green” power and smart-grid implementations.
Gary Kim (News - Alert) is a TMCnet Contributing Editor,
Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP
Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users. Today’s featured white paper is Fixed Service Strategies for Mobile Network Operators, brought to you by Comverse (News - Alert).
