"Broadband over Powerline and the Smart

Grid in Rural Telecommunications" 

Frank Domoney

www.powerline-technologies.com

The Vision

To develop and market an advanced, scalable telecommunication platform

….enabling operators in emerging economies to deliver a comprehensive package of IP services

…..with minimal infrastructure investment

….by utilising the existing electricity power network

Emerging Economies Telecom Issues

• Conventional telephony provision requires big investment in new lines

• DSL is also based around the telephony infrastructure

• Starting from a position of low Teledensity both telephony and Internet penetration are expensive to achieve Difficult to justify backbone development without adequate subscriber base

The Roeller Waverman Equations

• The Output equation models the level of output (GDP) as a function of the total physical capital stock net of telecoms capital, the total labour force, a variable that captures the extent of the “rule of law”, and the mobile telecoms penetration rate.

• The Demand equation models the level of mobile telecoms penetration as a function of income (the level of GDP per capita), mobile price (revenue per mobile subscriber), and the fixed-line price (which is revenue per fixed line subscriber).

• The Investment equation simplifies the Roeller-Waverman “supply” and “investment” equations. It assumes that the growth rate of mobile penetration depends on the price of telecoms, the geographic area, and a time trend term.

Convergence

• Data and Voice• Fixed and Mobile• Telco and Electricity Company

– Energis– Veba

• Telco and Railway Company• Telco and Entertainment Company• Telco and Municipal Authority

– Paris– Vienna

• Telco and Electricity Company– Quito– Buenos Aires

Powerline Environment

Transform

er

Powerline History (courtesy Wikipedia)

• Broadband over power lines has developed faster in Europe than in the United States due to a historical difference in power system design philosophies. Power distribution uses step-down transformers to reduce the voltage for use by customers. But BPL signals cannot readily pass through transformers, as their high inductance makes them act as low-pass filters, blocking high-frequency signals.

• So, repeaters must be attached to the transformers. In the U.S., it is common for a small transformer hung from a utility pole to service a single house or a small number of houses. In Europe, it is more common for a somewhat larger transformer to service 10 or 100 houses.

Powerline History (2)

• For delivering power to customers, this difference in design makes little difference for power distribution. But for delivering BPL over the power grid in a typical U.S. city requires an order of magnitude more repeaters than in a comparable European city.

• On the other hand, since bandwidth to the transformer is limited, this can increase the speed at which each household can connect, due to fewer people sharing the same line. One possible solution is to use BPL as the backhaul for wireless communications, for instance by hanging Wi-Fi access points or cellphone base stations on utility poles, thus allowing end-users within a certain range to connect with equipment they already have.

Powerline History (3)• The second major issue is signal strength and operating frequency.

The system is expected to use frequencies of 10 to 30 MHz, which has been used for many decades by amateur radio operators, as well as international shortwave broadcasters and a variety of communications systems (military, aeronautical, etc.).

• Power lines are unshielded and will act as antennas for the signals they carry, and have the potential to interfere with shortwave radio communications. Modern BPL systems use OFDM modulation, which allows to mitigate interference with radio services by removing specific frequencies used.

• A 2001 joint study by the ARRL and HomePlug Powerline Alliance showed that for modems using this technique "in general that with moderate separation of the antenna from the structure containing the HomePlug signal that interference was barely perceptible at the notched frequencies" and interference only happened when the "antenna was physically close to the power lines" (however other frequencies still suffer from interference).

Manassas Trial

– In October 2005, the city of Manassas began the first wide-scale deployment of BPL service in the US, offering 10 Mbit/s service for under $30 USD per month to its 35,000 city residents, using MainNet BPL technology.

– On June 16, 2006 FCC directed the Manassas BPL

System to resolve Amateurs' interference complaints. The FCC minced no words in detailing what it wants the city and BPL operator COMTek to do to ensure its system complies with Part 15 rules governing BPL systems and even hinted that it may shut down all or part of the system.

US FCC Approval 3 August 2006

STATEMENT OF FCC CHAIRMAN KEVIN J. MARTIN• Re: Amendment of Part 15 regarding new requirements and

measurement guidelines for Access Broadband over Power Line Systems; Carrier Current Systems, including Broadband over Power Line Systems

• In this item, we build upon our previous efforts to facilitate deployment of broadband over power line (BPL) systems while protecting existing spectrum users from harmful interference. It is my hope that our rules will allow BPL systems to flourish. This technology holds great promise as a ubiquitous broadband solution that would offer a viable alternative to cable, digital subscriber line, fiber, and wireless broadband solutions. Moreover, BPL has unique advantages for home networking because consumers can simply plug a device into their existing electrical outlets to achieve broadband connectivity. Promoting the deployment of broadband continues to be one of our top priorities and today’s action is another step towards reaching that goal.

Standards

• IEEE P1901 Effort Still in Negotiations 13 Oct 2008)

• IEEE P1901 refers to the draft standard for "Broadband over Power Line Networks: Medium Access Control and Physical Layer Specifications." The second confirmation vote for the IEEE P1901 In-Home proposal portion took place in Spain in the attempt to attain the 75 percent needed for passage. The confirmation was missed by a few votes (69 percent), which was short of the 75 percent needed. Apparently, some of the voting proxies were not included in the voting outcome, because last-minute changes again occurred to the proposal, and the procedure dictates that proxies cannot be used if changes are made to the proposal after proxies are cast. It is difficult to say if their inclusion would have changed the outcome or not.

DS2 and their Chipsets

• VALENCIA, Spain March 14 2008-- DS2, the leading technology innovator and global supplier of high-speed powerline communications technology today announced that a proposal originally co-authored by UPA, CEPCA and other IEEE members was selected last week as the single proposal for an eventual coexistence mechanism for access and in home Powerline Communications applications. The proposal which DS2 supported was approved in the IEEE P1901 Working Group (WG) process towards developing a baseline specification for Powerline Communications.

• One of the most important advantages of the coexistence proposal is to ensure that access systems deployed by power companies or service providers can share resources with any in-home system deployed in the same area. The proposal enjoyed significant consensus from the WG.

Electricity Network

Customer’s PremisesCustomer Service Line

HV Transmission >40Kv up to 100’s Kv

Customer’sPremises

Customer’sPremises

Customer’sPremises

LV Distribution 110v – 440v

HV - MVSubstation

DistributionTransformer

Distribution NodeMV - LV

Substation

MV-LV Transformer

MV Distribution 1Kv up to 40Kv

MV Distribution 1Kv up to 40Kv

LV Distribution 110v – 440v

MV-LV Transformer

Current PowerGate Access Technology

Customer’s PremisesCustomer Service Line

HV Transmission

Customer’sPremises

Customer’sPremises

Customer’sPremises

LV Distribution

HV - MVSubstation

DistributionTransformer

Distribution Node

MV Distribution

MV - LVSubstation

PowerGate 1001LV Repeater

PowerGate 1001LV Head-end Modem

PowerGate 102CPE

200Mbit/s Max Throughput

ManagementSoftware

PowerGate Commander

PowerGate 101CPE

PowerGate 1001MV Modem/Repeater

Customer Premises Equipment and Head End

KEY FEATURES

Provides low cost CPEoption for serviceproviders requiring onlydata service access

Compact “plug in thewall” design withintegral 10/100Ethernet port

Customer Premises Equipment

Comprehensive QoSarchitecture supportsdata, VoIP and otherIP media types

Ethernet, USB andanalogue phoneconnections

Head End

200 Mbit/s physicallayer throughput

Can act as Head-end,TDM repeater orFDM repeater(two devices)

Supports data, VoIP andother media types withcomprehensive QoSarchitectureIntegral 802.1dBridge

Ethernet 10/100 interface

Future

• 400 Mbps Chips

• IPTV

• Adaptive Notching

Providing the Backhaul

• BPL is an excellent solution for the final customer hop

• But…• Need to connect effectively and economically to

the national network• Conventional solution is to use BPL on the MV

line MV line

MV Backhaul Challenges

• Much more expensive than LV only– Repeater needed every 300-500m– Expensive couplers ($1000s vs. $10s for

LV)

• Speeds and latency are issues– 2-3Km limit for VoIP– Reduces overall performance for user

• Design and deployment are complex– Potential interference with LV

Hybrid Fibre Powerline (HFP) Overview

• New solution which combines BPL with fibre

• BPL is used on LV only• Aerial fibre optic cable on MV

poles provides backhaul• Optimised for use with electricity

systems based on overhead poles• Use MV pole wayleave as key

asset• BPL to consumers can be

combined with direct fibre services for business customers

• Unused fibres provide “dark fibre” business opportunity

HFP Schematic

Existing MV Cables

New Aerial F ibre Cable

Existing FDT} To LV

Subsc ribers

HFP D istr ibution Box

HFP vs. MV BPL BackhaulMV HFP

Active repeater needed every 500m

Up to c.100Km without repeaters

Limits bandwidth available in LV cells

Full 200Mbits/s raw bandwidth in all LV cells

High latency limits VoIP deployment

Low latency

Requires complex design & installation

Simple design & installation

Low bandwidth (< 80 Mbit/s) High Bandwidth (Gb/s)

ADSS Fibre

• Mature optical technology >15 years old• 100,000s of Km already installed• Good team can install 8-10Km per day • Installation requires only craft level skills

– With training can use local labour

BTs Next Generation Network

Designing the Core Network

• MetroWAND • Plan Ring and Mesh Architecture.

Highly efficient network design algorithms.Design rules incorporates fibre topology, traffic demands and equipment constraints.Quick analysis of "what-if" scenarios.Optical link layer performance estimations.Failure analysis with rerouting options.Customize Vendor equipment library.

• Can incorporate both Powerco and Telco links to establish a mesh

Testing the Robustness of the Design

• Artifex• Design and simulate discrete event systems using the

Petri Net formalism.Graphical language object oriented and event driven ensures scalability to high degrees of complexity.Integrated platform with tools to create, validate, simulate, measure and deploy the system.Dynamic visualization of events and states supports Iterative model development.Real-time and virtual-time simulation with full user control of model's execution.Simulation data analysis and representation.Automatic ANSI C and C++ code generation to build custom simulators and control software.Networking tool-kit for protocol simulations.

Converged Processes: Integrated System View

TMF eTOM Process Map

Telecommunications Application Map

Converged Billing

• A future-proof and flexible solution for offering converged services is a necessity for operators who are invested in the next stage of telecommunications. Establishing a convergent operator to win the customer’s entire communications budget is one way of dealing with this situation and ensuring undisturbed streams of revenue. However, convergence in telecommunications is becoming increasingly complex.

• Currently the following types of convergence affect operators: • • Line of business – fixed/mobile • • Payment methods – prepaid / post-paid • • Customer segments – business / private • • Processing – real-time / near-real-time / online • • Event / session type – voice / IP / content • • Network – IMS-enabled /PSTN / GSM / 3G mobile /

NGN … • • Business model – retail / wholesale / MVNO

Smart Grid

• SmartGrids:• Enhancing grid flexibility & robustness• • Create a toolbox of proven technical

solutions• • Establish interfacing capabilities that will

allow new designs of grid equipment and new automation/control arrangements to be successfully interfaced with existing, traditional, grid equipment;

• Ensure harmonisation of Regulatory and Commercial frameworks in Europe to facilitate cross-border trading of both power and grid services

Infrastructure Monitoring

• Kenya Power and Light company have £4 million pounds of annual damage from thieves and vandals.

• Adding intelligence to the network allows active surveillance and reaction.

Metering

• IBERDROLA launches a new open, public and standard telecommunications architecture for Smart Metering and Smart Grids

• IBERDROLA is coordinating the PRIME project, with the objective of developing an AMI infrastructure for automatic meter management that is public, open and standard

• Many companies have joined efforts to launch a new public, open and non-proprietary telecommunications architecture that will support the new AMM functionality and enable the building of the electricity networks of the future, or SmartGrids.

Business Models

• Powerco as Telco competes with incumbent Telco

• Powerco rents medium to Mobile Co or ISP as fixed extension. – Example Cysca and Edenor in Buenos Aires. Cysca pay

Edenor 2% of annual revenue and 10% of profits.

• Powerco and Incumbent Telco maintain Monopoly on Telecoms

•Thank you for your Interest.

• I am happy to take questions.

• My email address is • frank.domoney@powerline-technologies.com

• My Mobile number is +44 7887 804660• www.powerline-technologies.com