Broadband over Power Lines

Data to be transmitted over high-voltage line. Just imagine, internet data is running on those powerlines, carrying power as well. This is quite possible with the help BPL. Some people call it Internet over power line (IPL), some say power line communication ( PLC) or telecommunication (PLT). It allows us to access the internet via our home wall socket.

You can read about Transporting Electricity, (Access, In-house and Hybrid) BPL Systems, Coupler, OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), and some more things about this technology in my technical book  - Broadband over Power Lines.

You have got wall socket that provides power to your television and the same electric outlet enables you to use the internet as well. 

There are still huge parts like remote areas, villages, and outskirts don’t have access to high-speed Internet. If broadband could be served through high-voltage line, there would be no need to build a new infrastructure. 

This system provides us just 7,200 volts, that is much more manageable.  These powerlines are called Medium Voltage lines where BPL injectors are tied to the Internet backbone via fiber lines. 

We need to install repeaters to avoid signal loss. They maintain the required signal strength.

The transformer's job is to reduce the 7,200 volts down to the 240-volt. There is no way for low-power data signals to pass through a transformer. Couplers are used for such transfers.

BPL Extractors provide the interface between the Medium Voltage lines carrying BPL signals and the households within the service area. The extractors at each Low Voltage Distribution transformer feeding a group of homes.

Powerline Adapter (Adaptor) or BPL modem

Powerline adaptor is also called a BPL (Broadband over Power Lines) modem, very easy to use, just plug and play. It is roughly the size of a common adaptor, and plugs into a common electric outlet.

You just need to plug your one powerline adaptor into a electric outlet, either connect that adaptor via Ethernet to the router or insert the fiber-optic cable into the powerline adaptor.

Now take another Powerline adaptor and plug that into a power socket in another room – for example, next to your smart TV. You can then connect this second adaptor to your smart TV using another Ethernet cable. Your TV – or, laptop or whatever – is now wired to your router.