WORLDWIDE MARKET RESEARCH REPORT - CISE

EC/IST FP6 Project No 026920
Work Package: 6
Type of document: Report
Date: 20.12.2007
File name: OP_WP6_D37_V1.0.doc Version: 1.0
Title: Worldwide Market Research Report 92 / 356
5.1.6 Barriers and future Opportunities for the PLC Technology
5.1.6.1 Barriers
Currently, five main reasons exist that must be considered as barriers for growth of PLC
technology: interoperation, radio interference, wireless technology competition, lack of
regulation and energy meters without support for IP communication.
Interoperation: Although the many tests already executed and others still in progress,
devices of different manufacturers do not have full interoperation capacity. Efforts in this
direction have been made by alliances and normative agencies through standards definitions
such as HomePlug Powerline Alliance and IEEE P1675.
Radio Interference: The OFDM modulation used in PLC devices produces radio
interference with short waves communication equipment. It is necessary that standard been
created and respected norms for pacific and correct interoperation of the two systems.
Wireless: Wireless technologies as WiFi, WiMax, Zigbee, etc are competing in some PLC
applications.
Regulatory: The regulatory lack contributes so that it has certain distrust in use of the PLC
technology, for the risk to substitute or to modify the installed equipment, resulting in the
needs to make new investments in already installed plant.
Meters: Although some last generation of meters support IP communication capability, their
use requires more investments due to it higher cost or by necessity of substitution of the
already installed meters.
5.1.6.2 Opportunities
As opportunity can be presented the possibility of PLC technology been used without the
necessity of great investments in infrastructure supplying broadband Internet. One important
factor is that the electric network has coverage of 95% of the Brazilians houses. The
Brazilians government project named “Luz para todos” has a goal of reach 99% of Brazilians