Potential of broadband power line home networking

In-house power line communication (PLC) enables new and highly convenient networking functions without any additional cables to mains-powered devices. Since wireless networks are not able to reach sufficient throughput between different rooms or even floors, PLC is considered to be the ideal backbone home network medium, providing complementary and seamless interaction with wireless networks. To gain knowledge about the PLC channel, measurements were done in 21 buildings across Europe. More than 700 outlets were connected. The measurement results were used to calculate the theoretical channel capacity according to Shannon´s law. A comparison of various regulatory emission levels is presented. An estimation of the potential of OFDM based PLC system is provided. Finally, a mechanism to avoid radiation from PLC to ensure coexistence with SW radio applications and an outlook to future regulatory work are given.