Multi-user MIMO broadcasting/multicasting for medium-voltage narrowband-PLC networks

A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system is proposed for narrowband power-line communication (NB-PLC) applications in multi-user medium-voltage (MV) broadcast/multicast networks. A 2-input / 3-output spatial channel model response is simulated for a 3-phase MV broadcast network over the 3-500 kHz frequency band. We optimize the precoder design according to the signal-to-leakage-plus-noise ratio criterion and show how the design is different from the wireless scenario. The achievable MIMO-OFDM data rates are evaluated for a group-based multicasting scenario under two different grouping criteria. First, we consider a distance-based criterion where the users within the same geographical area receive a common message. Second, we consider a quality-of-service based criterion where the premium users have a lower bit error rate than the standard users. We demonstrate a significant sum-rate gain for the multicast networks over the broadcast networks for a wide range of noise levels.