Grintek buys into PLC
Grintek buys into PLC
Grintek Telecoms supplies Tshwane Metro Municipality with Inovatech equipment. Adrian Maguire, managing executive, solutions and integration group, says, "Our role is to install a PLC network and integrate it with service providers and user interfaces."
He concedes there is currently no approved emission control standard. "The closest is NB-30, and Inovatech's equipment is significantly below prescribed levels. Where an official standard emerges, our equipment will comply with it."
Inovatech technology is called CATS and consists of two devices: a MultiCAT located in a mini-sub, which converts an IP signal into a PLC signal and injects it onto a low voltage (220V) network, and an IPCAT, located at the user's premises, which converts back into IP. A standard IPCAT has two Ethernet ports (to connect a computer, a TV or other devices), one USB port (to link a camera on control appliances) and one analogue telephone port (no need for an expensive IP phone, as the IPCAT has a built-in codec).
PLC is an elegant solution to covering the "last mile", Maguire avers. "But it is only applicable to the so-called last mile, in reality 250 metres; although, with repeaters, this could be increased to 500 metres. PLC is also not meant to be a panacea; the economic value of each case must be analysed and there might be situations where another technology could be more appropriate."
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