1. Additional notes available depending on display mode
No responsibility is claimed for technological changes, or
link reliability, subsequent to material presentation

3. Broadband over power lines (BPL) is a method
of that allows relatively
high-speed digital data transmission over the
public wiring.
With broadband over power lines, or BPL, you can
plug your computer into any electrical outlet in your home and
instantly have access to high-speed Internet. By combining the
technological principles of , ,
and , developers have created a way to send data over
power lines and into homes at speeds between 500 kilobits and
3 megabits per second (equivalent to DSL and cable).

5. How Broadband Over Powerlines Works
An emerging technology may be the newest heavy
hitter in the competitive world of broadband
Internet service. It offers high-speed access to
your home through the most unlikely path: a
common . (Broadband over
Power Line) technology makes possible high-
speed Internet access over ordinary residential
electrical lines. BPL offers an alternative
to or broadband Internet
services.

6. With broadband over power lines, or BPL,
you can plug your computer into any electrical
outlet in your home and instantly have access to
high-speed Internet. By combining the
technological principles of ,
, and , developers have
created a way to send data over power lines and
into homes at speeds between 500 kilobits and 3
megabits per second (equivalent to DSL and
cable).

13. Broadband Over Power Lines

14. Broadband Over Power Lines
In summary, Broadband can be provided by:
• Wired connections: Telephone (POS), Cable (POS)
• Wireless: Satellite (WAN), WiFi (LAN)
• Optical Fiber (POS)
The Newest in Internet Service is
Broadband over Power Lines
(or “Access Broadband”)
with some unique features . . .

15. NTIA Report 04-413, Potential Interference From Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) Systems To Federal
Government Radiocommunications AT 1.7 - 80 MHz, Phase 1 Study - U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE, National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Broadband Over Power Lines
Delta

16. NTIA Report 04-413, Potential Interference From Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) Systems To Federal
Government Radiocommunications AT 1.7 - 80 MHz, Phase 1 Study - U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE, National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Broadband Over Power Lines
Delta

17. NTIA Report 04-413, Potential Interference From Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) Systems To Federal
Government Radiocommunications AT 1.7 - 80 MHz, Phase 1 Study - U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE, National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Broadband Over Power Lines
Delta

18. NTIA Report 04-413, Potential Interference From Broadband Over Power Line (BPL) Systems To Federal
Government Radiocommunications AT 1.7 - 80 MHz, Phase 1 Study - U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE, National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Broadband Over Power Lines
Wye

19. BPL and HF – A Primer © ARRL 2004
Broadband Over Power Lines

20. BPL and HF – A Primer © ARRL 2004
Broadband Over Power Lines

21. Broadband Over Power Lines
Analog Modulation
QAM @ www.williamson-labs.com

22. Broadband Over Power Lines
Projected BPL Carrier frequencies are 1.7 MHz to 80 MHz.

23. Broadband Over Power Lines
Intro to T1 @ www.rflelect.com
A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK WITHOUT T1
PHONE
SYSTEM
RFL 9745
RFL 9785
HCB
Network
PHONE
SYSTEM
RFL 9745
RFL 9785
HCB
LAN
ANALOG TIE LINES
Analog/Digital LINE
POWER LINE
PILOT WIRES
DIGITAL LINE
DTTDTT
DCB DCB
PBX
PBX
PBX
OPX
OPX
OPX
DATADATA
RFL 9720 RFL 9720
Introduction to Digital Methods

24. Broadband Over Power Lines
Intro to T1 @ www.rflelect.com
Analog to Digital Conversion
PCM
TDM

25. Broadband Over Power Lines
Fully Digital above – separate channels to avoid collision
Digital Modulation below – separate frequencies to avoid collision

26. Broadband Over Power Lines
T1 Repeater

27. Broadband Over Power Lines
BPL Injector / Repeater

28. Broadband Over Power Lines
Projected BPL Carrier frequencies are 1.7 MHz to 80 MHz.
< 30 MHz - Conducted energy.
Field detection by Magnetic field.
> 30 MHz - Conducted And Radiated energy.
Field detection by Electric field.

30. Broadband Over Power Lines

31. Broadband Over Power Lines
Wavelength λ = C / F, and C = 186,000 mi/sec
At 1 MHz λ ~ 1000ʹ, at 10 MHz λ ~ 100ʹ,
and at 100 MHz λ ~ 10ʹ
Less than about 3 λ is considered the Near
Field where unusual “echo” effects occur, and E
& M fields need to be measured separately, for
proper assessment.
3 λ at 10 MHz is ~ 300ʹ

32. Broadband Over Power Lines
BPL is covered under FCC Regulations, Part 15,
which implies that the information will not radiate,
However, the FCC overlooked some details . . .

33. Broadband Over Power Lines

34. Broadband Over Power Lines

36. DSL and cable modem Internet services bring high-speed
networking to the home and small business at an affordable
price. When comparing DSL vs cable, business and technical
advantages of both are apparent.
DSL and BPLSpeed - Bottom Line
Cable modem Internet services on average promise
higher levels of bandwidth than DSL Internet services, and
this bandwidth roughly translates to raw speed. However,
while cable Internet will theoretically run faster than DSL,
several technical and business reasons can reduce or even
eliminate this advantage.

37. DSL vs BPL Speed - Advantage Cable
In terms of theoretical peak performance, cable modem
runs faster than DSL. Cable technology supports
approximately 30 of bandwidth, whereas most forms of
DSL cannot reach 10 Mbps.
One type of DSL technology, can match cable's
performance, also supporting 30 Mbps. However, Internet
service providers generally do not offer VDSL, but rather the
cheaper and slower or services.

39. •Utilities can offer broadband service to every home with
their ubiquitous network.
•Broadband is the fastest growing telecom segment in
United States.
•Utilities see a promise of various utility applications on
the broadband, IP enabled network piggy riding on their
electric network.

41. •BPL will be a niche Broadband Access technology – most
probably in the semi-urban towns.
•The technology is under close market scrutiny for its ability
to support a successful business model.
•Some utilities may delay their AMR decision with a hope of
using BPL one day.
•You need to keep our ear on the ground for meter
manufacturers planning to offer BPL enabled solutions.
”