In-Home Power Line Communication Channel: Statistical Characterization

A statistical characterization of the in-home power line communication channel is performed from the study of a wide set of measured channels in the 1.8-100 MHz frequency band. The study provides new insights on (a) the relation between the line impedance and the channel frequency response (CFR), and (b) on the spatial relation between the channels that share either the transmitter or the receiver outlet. Furthermore, it confirms the validity of some results presented in the literature that are limited to the 30 MHz band. The study comprises the analysis of the average channel gain, the root-mean-square delay spread and the coherence bandwidth, as well as the relation between such quantities and the phase of the CFR. Closed-form expressions are provided to model the quantities and their relations. Finally, the coverage, i.e., the relation between the maximum achievable rate and the distance, as well as the achievable rate gain offered by the use of the frequency band up to 300 MHz, are studied.