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5 years ago... Norweb promises IP over power lines by year end

http://www.silicon.com/news/500015-500001/1/5319.html

5 years ago... Norweb promises IP over power lines by year end
To be honest, we've given up waiting...

25.07.98
Norweb Communications has insisted internet access and voice services over electricity lines will be a reality by the end of the year.

In an exclusive interview with Silicon News, Norweb MD Mark Ballett said technical glitches have been solved, and the company - which is owned by United Utilities - expects to start selling equipment based on digital power line (DPL) technology to other providers in the near future.

Ballett said: "We are known for our quality of service - we get that from our utilities background - and we're different to telecoms companies in Europe, which are backed by utilities companies, because they compete on price: they don't have DPL."

Norweb intends to market a plug-in device which comes with an IP phone jack, a universal serial bus (USB) connection and a slot for a screen, which can act as a thin client. DPL will allow 'always on' services charged at a flat rate, according to Ballett. As such, they will be priced differently to traditional dial-up services, even though Norweb has said it plans on becoming a regional ISP covering the Northwest of England.

25.07.03
Hindsight's a wonderful thing. We now know that none of the powerline trials around the world - and over a dozen utilities were known to have been working on the technology - have ever come to anything.

The idea is appealing because if it were to work it would mean a revolution in communications. For an informed look at this technology, see our recent column by Peter Cochrane.

Norweb's telecoms arm eventually changed its name to Your Communications. The end of 1998 roll out promise turned into one big chimera - and odds are they thought no one would ever remember.

silicon.com
 
Just because Norweb didn't go ahead its five years on and the technoligy has still changed. This is possible and if you don't want it its a free country you don't have to take them up on hte offer.

Some out there want this technoligy and will take the offer when its launched.

Just as some in areas where thye have a choice between cable nd BT have fone witrh the company they want.
 
PLC just say no said:
http://www.silicon.com/news/500015-500001/1/5319.html

5 years ago... Norweb promises IP over power lines by year end
To be honest, we've given up waiting...

25.07.98
Norweb Communications has insisted internet access and voice services over electricity lines will be a reality by the end of the year.

In an exclusive interview with Silicon News, Norweb MD Mark Ballett said technical glitches have been solved, and the company - which is owned by United Utilities - expects to start selling equipment based on digital power line (DPL) technology to other providers in the near future.

Ballett said: "We are known for our quality of service - we get that from our utilities background - and we're different to telecoms companies in Europe, which are backed by utilities companies, because they compete on price: they don't have DPL."

Norweb intends to market a plug-in device which comes with an IP phone jack, a universal serial bus (USB) connection and a slot for a screen, which can act as a thin client. DPL will allow 'always on' services charged at a flat rate, according to Ballett. As such, they will be priced differently to traditional dial-up services, even though Norweb has said it plans on becoming a regional ISP covering the Northwest of England.

25.07.03
Hindsight's a wonderful thing. We now know that none of the powerline trials around the world - and over a dozen utilities were known to have been working on the technology - have ever come to anything.

The idea is appealing because if it were to work it would mean a revolution in communications. For an informed look at this technology, see our recent column by Peter Cochrane.

Norweb's telecoms arm eventually changed its name to Your Communications. The end of 1998 roll out promise turned into one big chimera - and odds are they thought no one would ever remember.

silicon.com
 
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PLC just say no said:
http://www.silicon.com/news/500015-500001/1/5319.html

5 years ago... Norweb promises IP over power lines by year end
To be honest, we've given up waiting...


Nortel/Norweb pulled the plug on that trial long ago. SSE have now moved into the market with much improved technology. 5 years is a long time and the technical problems encountered by Nortel/Norweb have been solved. SSE have three Technical Trial sites going in Maidenhead, Campbelltown & Crief with two large scale Commercial trials underway in Stonehaven & Winchester. It looks as if this time it will suceed and if it can ramp up the bandwidth to 10Mbs it gains an advantage over BT in that they cannot offer that sort of bandwidth. It also has the advantage that no extension leads are needed, you just plug it into the nearest mains socket.


Home Networks using the mains are already commercially available.

Watch this space for News on The SSE Powerline Full Commercial Rollout.
 
"PLC just say no" who do you work for.........?
 
Ali7383 said:
"PLC just say no" who do you work for.........?

I was wondering that...

Like Kitty said, if ya dont want it, dont have it.

But why stop a technology that may be a godsend for those out of reach of BTs adsl? :confused:

Why dont you like it?
 
Gross pollution of the radio spectrum by PLC

My concern is the gross pollution of the radio spectrum by PLC. - Bit like dumping raw sewage on the street.

SSE claims of “no emissions” are totally bogus and independent tests have proven that their systems have major problems.

There are many better ways of providing Internet access using wireless technologies such as Wimax etc.
 
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Have you looked at the problems of wireless technology?

There are many.

First off you have to get a connection the net, either through satalite (right away that means people cannot use it for gaming)
or a leased line. Which is expensive, and ensures that you will never get the cost down to adsl level.

Not to mention the cost of the equipment.

Powerline tech is said to be almost as cheap as adsl, and has many more advantages over it.

However, its not the pollution you are just concerned about. You username, and the fact that you post anything, not just the 'pollution' that will damage powerlines reputation.

Im not being nasty here. Im Just wondering why you have something so against the technology, and its not just the 'pollution'.

Just out of interest, what pollution is this? Raditation type?
 
The way PLC works is that there is a PLC base station at the sub station for your street (actually a big transformer) that transmits and receives data from remote PLC units located in your house next to your computer and plugged into the mains.

A typical sub station transforms high voltage (thousands of volts) to 240V mains and serves 150 – 200 houses with the longest cable run of about 800 feet (YMMV) any more and you will get voltage droop.

From the PLC base station a connection goes back to the Internet, it is called the “back haul” this connection does not use the mains wiring and can be satellite (as used in Campbeltown by SSE) or more likely a DSL variant called SDSL (leased line).

Wireless has the same back haul options so to characterise wireless as having a problem in this area does not make sense.

I have to wonder why SSE don’t just put 802.11b access points on poles at their substations, with good antennas the range would be the same as PLC and customers can either use existing 802.11b cards etc or buy their own. No CPE equipment and the radio folks wouldn’t be on their case.

Moving onto the interference issue, if there was any evidence that the interference problem had been solved the PLC polluters would be issuing all sorts of detailed technical data to prove their case. As interference is still very clearly a problem it is left up to the PR bunnies to duck weave and try and fudge the issue.

Ultimately PLC is a broken technology that is the broadband equivalent of a mirage, all it achieves is to distract attention from other real and much more viable solutions.
 
Didnt quite understand that post. But then it is the morning and I feel like s**t warmed up, so its probably me.

Regaurdless, if it works then people will want it.

You said something about pollution before, did you mean the interferance with the radio nuts? If thats all the pollution there is, then that wont be much of a barrier.
 
PLC just say no said:
The way PLC works is that there is a PLC base station at the sub station for your street (actually a big transformer) that transmits and receives data from remote PLC units located in your house next to your computer and plugged into the mains.

A typical sub station transforms high voltage (thousands of volts) to 240V mains and serves 150 – 200 houses with the longest cable run of about 800 feet (YMMV) any more and you will get voltage droop.

From the PLC base station a connection goes back to the Internet, it is called the “back haul” this connection does not use the mains wiring and can be satellite (as used in Campbeltown by SSE) or more likely a DSL variant called SDSL (leased line).

Wireless has the same back haul options so to characterise wireless as having a problem in this area does not make sense.

I have to wonder why SSE don’t just put 802.11b access points on poles at their substations, with good antennas the range would be the same as PLC and customers can either use existing 802.11b cards etc or buy their own. No CPE equipment and the radio folks wouldn’t be on their case.

Moving onto the interference issue, if there was any evidence that the interference problem had been solved the PLC polluters would be issuing all sorts of detailed technical data to prove their case. As interference is still very clearly a problem it is left up to the PR bunnies to duck weave and try and fudge the issue.

Ultimately PLC is a broken technology that is the broadband equivalent of a mirage, all it achieves is to distract attention from other real and much more viable solutions.

Another 'not so normal' who resides in forums to get their illogical point over, as there is nobody in the real world who will listen to them.

I never like to offend an individual unless that person is standing in front of me and has the same playing field of reply. ( but I will attack a Corporate or those who pretend to be such for such beings like to hide behind many a mantel.,) PLC you take the biscuit, are you one of the 'green', 'global warming', 'leave the fox alone', knitted jumper, 'yogurt eating', 'sandal wearing,' 'let us all prey' again type of person's. :rolleyes:

I will not waste time debating the 'science' of the technology as you clearly do not have the intellective capacity to sustain such input.

Somewhere there is a forum on the subject of broadband streaming of the Teletubbies, I suggest you go an visit that and get yourself cerebral intoxicated.

I only repsonded because it is early in the morning and I wanted to add one to my 'post count' .. :):laugh:

YAHOOOOOOOOOOOO0ooooooooooooo
Latchingdon is number one........

Door 2 door knocking is paying off :)
 
Last edited:
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Stands more chance of success than the bright idea of large tethered dirigibles sending WiFi connections all over the country. Just think of the mayhem that would cause.
 
Never did answer my question either!
 
Ali7383 said:
Never did answer my question either!

Why could I not have said that?? . lol :)
 
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