Powerline communications back on the table

[jes]

Powerline communications back on the table

There has recently been debate at several of the SA Bureau of Standards (SABS) technical committees concerned with standards in the communications and power distribution fields.

 

[Beri]

bloody hell there is a blast from the past

 

[magneto]

ROFL @ Eskom, they @ it again.

 

[SlyFly]

/me keeps on walking...

 

[Ockie]

wtf is that article about? Why should we care? It is not like Eskom wants to give us broadband over powerlines.

 

[entrepr]

Yes, very esoteric. I think Eskom should do whatever they want over the lines as long as the external impact is regulated (EMI etc) and we end up getting cheap, reliable broadband.

 

[FuLL_MeT4L]

The 90's called, they want their thread back.

 

[Vice]

This flipping BPL won't go away.

 

[kidnotorious]

Would be a handy alternative to ADSL, the cost of laying fibre, cable networks and 3G.

Did anyone ever manage to get powerline communication to work?

 

[LazyLion]

Did anyone ever manage to get powerline communication to work?

No, which is why this thread is pointless.

 

[Fearl3$$]

Yay, another article about how we here in SA cant get internet over powerlines to work.
I Just love hearing all about the Theoretical stuff and how everyone at the university gets the acronyms wrong, and then fight about it.

 

[zamicro]

This flipping BPL won't go away.

Ag no man. There are no companies that can/will give us this so stop talking about it already. Sewer fibre is a better subject so move on.

Would be a handy alternative to ADSL, the cost of laying fibre, cable networks and 3G.

Did anyone ever manage to get powerline communication to work?

No, which is why this thread is pointless.

Yay, another article about how we here in SA cant get internet over powerlines to work.
I Just love hearing all about the Theoretical stuff and how everyone at the university gets the acronyms wrong, and then fight about it.

It seems that most people only read the first 2 paragraphs, then came here to comment about something other than the subject of the article.

The article is about the communication between your electricity meter and the supply authority. It has NOTHING to do about internet. This is technology for your meter to automatically send the usage upstream to the supply authority. Which is why I also agree that it has nothing to do with ICASA except if it interferes with other signals. (A long wire can become a very good antenna)

 

[LaviniaHeks]

It seems that most people only read the first 2 paragraphs, then came here to comment about something other than the subject of the article.

The article is about the communication between your electricity meter and the supply authority. It has NOTHING to do about internet. This is technology for your meter to automatically send the usage upstream to the supply authority. Which is why I also agree that it has nothing to do with ICASA except if it interferes with other signals. (A long wire can become a very good antenna)

Surely you know it's compulsory to NOT read an article before you comment on it? And the stronger your opinion on the *heading*, the least you should know about the subject.

The first paragraphs made a distinction between PLC and PLT but that, on its own, would have lost most of the people commenting above. Not that they read it.

Back on topic: We urgently need to get a smart grid system implemented and if we don't use international standards, it'll be ICASA-II with South Africa using systems not implemented anywhere else in the world.

In terms of broadband over power lines, someone at Eskom told me years ago, they can (or did) embed a fibre in the core of the high-voltage line. It always made sense to me to do it this way. Your national grid automatically becomes a fibre grid. Wonder if this ever went anywhere?

 

[zamicro]

Wrong, the article says powerline "communications" back on the table, which would imply communication in the broad sense. Eskom wants the 0-500kHz reserved for them so others can't use it but there is still talk of it being licensed for use, which is going to be a waste without proper competition anyway.

Icasa should not be involved I agree. As long as someone has a network license and can strike up a deal with the local municipality they should be able to use it. Don't know of other places but here our electrical grid is twisted insulated wire so there will be no antenna effect.

I see you have also not read the article.

 

[Jagtiger]

:snip:

In terms of broadband over power lines, someone at Eskom told me years ago, they can (or did) embed a fibre in the core of the high-voltage line. It always made sense to me to do it this way. Your national grid automatically becomes a fibre grid. Wonder if this ever went anywhere?

As I heard, it is backbone solution between cities (we had article on it, but seems I never find past articles) and according to article, it has same price as other backbone solutions i.e. expensive and not competitive.