MiFi

MiFi: Developed by Novatel, a portable broadband wireless device typically the size of a credit card that combines functions of a modem, router and access point. Designed to simplify setting up a small local area network (LAN) a MiFi hotspot is a device that connects to a cellular 3G network and bridges the network to Wi-Fi devices (up to 10m/30ft distance). This creates a local “cloud” of high-speed Internet connectivity that can be shared between users and Wi-Fi devices such as laptops, cameras, gaming devices, and multimedia players. The device can be connected to a computer via a MicroUSB connection, though doing so disables the wireless feature. In the U.S., MiFi devices are available from Verizon Wireless (MIFI 2200) and Sprint (MIFI 2200).

Below is a list of some of MiFi’s other featuers:
- Storage capacity.
- The ability to host applications.
- Supports EV-DO or UMTS/HSDPA 3G technologies.
- Internal battery offers four hours active use, forty hours standby before it needs to be recharged.
- Can be configured for automatic email synching and virtual private network (VPN) connection.
- Supports remote management.

Source: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/mifi.html

Pic: http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Dec2008/First_MiFi_Intelligent_Mobile_Hotspot.jpg

In-Home BPL

Another form of Broadband over Powerline (BPL) is:

In-House BPL: a form of indoor PLC (Powerline Carrier) that operates over residential or business interior electrical cabling at 110/220 volts. Standards for in-house PLC are relatively recent, with the HomePlug standards perhaps being the most notable. HomePlug 1.0 was published in 2001 by the HomePlug Powerline Alliance (http://www.homeplug.org/), which was founded by vendors including Cisco and Intel. Those standards are loosely based on Ethernet and support up to 16 devices communicating at speeds up to 14 Mbps over a shared electrical path. HomePlug compatible devices (e.g., include Pcs, routers and bridges that use Ethernet, USB or Wi-Fi technologies) can simply plug into an electrical socket through a bridge or adapter about the size of a typical voltage adapter and, thereby, connect directly to the LV wiring. So every electrical socket effectively becomes a port into a high speed LAN. In-House BPL speeds don’t compare well with more conventional Ethernet LANs, but can be an attractive solution where buildings can’t easily be rewired and where a building’s physical layout is not conducive to wireless LANs. The next step is the HomePlug AV standard, which is being built from the group up to support entertainment applications such as HDTV and Home Theater. HomePlug AV will run at speeds up to 200 Mbps. Dozens of HomePlug 1.0 compatible products have been certified and many more are under development. In a home a BPL modem plugs into a wall outlet inside the house, receives those signals from the outside power lines and typically converts them into a familiar 802.11b Ethernet connection.

Pictured below: Illustration of how a BPL modem used in a home

Source: http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/bpl-modem.gif

Access BPL

We left off last time with Broadband over Powerline (BPL) discussing home voice/data traffic is able to be transmitted via electrical utility power lines. Today we will discuss one form of this technology.

Access BPL: a form of PLC (Powerline Carrier) that uses components of the existing electrical power grid for the delivery of broadband services. Specifically, Access BPL uses special injectors (i.e. modems and couplers) to interface the telecommunications network to medium voltage (MV) lines in the electrical distribution network. MV operates at a manageable 7,200 volts or so. The Radio Frequency carrier supporting the communications signals shares the same line with the electrical signals as they operate at different frequencies. Repeaters spaced every 300 meters or so serve to re-amplify, re-time and regenerate the signal as it travels from the utility substation toward the customer premises. The signals are removed by extractors placed just ahead of the transformers, which typically serve a number of households. Typically, the extractors bypass the transformers and bridge the communications signals between the MV lines and the low voltage (LV) (110/220 volts) drops to the premises. Alternatively, they may bridge the signal to a Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) node that serves multiple premises through a wireless hotspot. Although Access BPL services are not widely available, a small number of utilities began offering service in 2003 and 2004, and several others have announced their intentions to do so.

In summary, there are 3 components to Access BPL:

1) Medium voltage line (MV)
2) Bypass of the low-voltage transformer in residential neighborhoods that steps down voltage
3) Low voltage distribution from the transformer to residential electrical outlets

Overall, this could be a great “last mile” alternative to DSL and Cable access when speaking in terms of delivering connectivity to rural subscribers.

Source: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/vwimages/bplf1e.jpg/$file/bplf1e.jpg

Broadband over Powerline (BPL)

In the News Today:
Since the federal government as set aside an estimated $7.2 Billion in funding to bring broadband to underserved areas, telecom companies are rushing to meet the August 14th deadline to apply. 1 company in particular, International Broadband Electric Communications (IBEC) located in Huntsville, Alabama is hoping to secure a piece of this funding to further push their technology offering known as Broadband over Powerline or “BPL”. Today we will discuss further what BPL entails and how, although it is a viable technology, it’s very expensive to implement and maintain.

For more information on how companies are responding to the August 14th application deadline for part of the money granted by American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009, check out the following URL:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32284073/ns/business-businessweekcom/#storyContinued


Broadband over Powerline (BPL): the contemporary and updated version of Powerline Carrier (PLC), a means for sending and receiving voice and data over electric utility power lines. PLC has been used for many years by electric utilities for low speed data communications applications such as telemetry and control between power plants and substations. PLC also has long been used by telephone companies to provide voice service to extremely remote subscribers who have electric service but for whom the construction costs associated with telco local loops would be prohibitively expensive. BPL can be broken into two component technologies: Access BPL and In-House BPL

We will continue to explore these technologies throughout the week…for now, refer to the below illustration for a reference on how BPL delivers voice/data to households


Source: http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/08/diagram2.gif