Editing Broadband over power lines (section)

==History==
BPL is based on PLC technology developed as far back as 1914 by the US telecommunications company AT&T.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Telephony over Power Lines (Early History) - Engineering and Technology History Wiki|url = http://ethw.org/Telephony_over_Power_Lines_(Early_History)|website = ethw.org|access-date = 2016-02-20|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191003213736/https://ethw.org/Telephony_over_Power_Lines_(Early_History)|archive-date = October 3, 2019|url-status = dead}}</ref> In 1990s, BPL emerged as a means of leveraging the pervasiveness of the power grid to deliver high-speed broadband communications. The aim was to expand internet access to areas where traditional wired broadband solutions like DSL or cable were not readily available or economically viable.  

In order to achieve high bandwidth levels, BPL operates at higher frequencies than traditional power line communications, typically in the range between 2 and 80 MHz.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |title=Broadband over Power Line (BPL) {{!}} Definition, Function, and Characteristics |url=https://www.broadbandsearch.net/definitions/broadband-over-power-line |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=BroadbandSearch}}</ref> The modulation techniques of BPL are Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM) or Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), which are both superior to Spread Spectrum or Narrowband for spectral efficiency, robustness against channel distortions, and the ability to adapt to channel changes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mollenkopf |first=J. |date=2004 |title=Presentation to Cincinnati IEEE Meeting. |url=http://103.82.172.44:8080/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/1368/Thesis%20Book%20Edited%20-%20Md.%20Irteeja%20Kobir%20%2C160021073.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref> Electricity companies have been bundling radio frequency on the same line as the electrical current to monitor the performance of their own power grids for years. There have been attempts to implement access BPL, or the provision of internet services to customers via the grid. The prospect of BPL was predicted in 2004 to possibly motivate DSL and cable operators to serve rural communities.<ref>{{cite news
 | author = Denis Du Bois
 | title = Broadband over Powerlines (BPL) in a Nutshell
 | url = http://energypriorities.com/entries/2004/12/broadband_over_1.php
 | work = Energy Priorities blog
 | date = December 9, 2004
 | access-date = November 6, 2013
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141119232412/http://energypriorities.com/entries/2004/12/broadband_over_1.php
 | archive-date = November 19, 2014
 | url-status = dead
 }}</ref>

More recently, decarbonization is leading to a significant increase in generation plants, storage devices, and consumers at lower voltage levels, causing capacity issues in distribution grids.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Finkelstein |first=J. |date=2020 |title=How to decarbonize global power systems |url=https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/electric-power-and-natural-gas/our-insights/how-to-decarbonize-global-power-systems |access-date=August 11, 2023 |website=McKinsey & Company}}</ref> Traditional central control becomes not feasible for lower levels due to the vast number of units.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moore |first=P. |date=2021 |title=Traditional grids vs smart grids: why we're making the shift |url=https://www.sageautomation.com/blog/traditional-grids-vs-smart-grids-why-were-making-the-shift |access-date=August 11, 2023 |website=Sage Automation}}</ref> Energy utility companies such as E.ON, starts to adopt BPL as a key communication technology to enable real-time, high-speed decentralized control of the grid.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bloomberg |date=2018 |title=E.ON Chooses Corinex Broadband over Powerline Technology for their Smart Metering Rollout |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2018-01-19/e-on-chooses-corinex-broadband-over-powerline-technology-for-their-smart-metering-rollout |website=Bloomberg}}</ref>