Broadband Over Powerlines
Broadband Over Powerlines (BPL), also known as PowerLine Communicatioins (PLC), is a revolutionary way to distribute a broadband signal the existing electricity grid. A broadband signal is injected along the electricity lines, typically at the medium voltage or at a utility substation and is then carried throughout the network. Couplers will then typically step the signal down to low voltage rendering virtually every outlet as an access pooint.
The technology's inherent success is based on the ubiquity of electricity infrastructure allowing even the most rural areas to have broadband access with minimal investment by the utility or the deploying firm.
While first deregulated by the US Federal Communications Commission in 1997, BPL has been proliferating throughout Europe and United States. We now seek to bring this revolutionary technology to Africa as a catalyst and driver of economic development and poverty reduction.
Multi-Sector Approach
Due to the nature of this technology, we strongly believe and encourage all stakeholders to think about the multiple applications of BPL. We highlight some of them here:1. Education
- Increasing research capabilities at learning institutions
- Effortless incorporation of multimedia content in classrooms to enhance learning experience
- Early exposure and training on Internet related technologies to students
- Possibility for greater inter-University cooperation on collaborative research projects
2. Communication
- Ability to utilize free telephony broadband applications for reduced communications costs
- Video Conferencing through free services such as iChat (Instant Messenger)
3. Governance and Transparency
- Digitization of and enhanced accessibility to legislation to increase accountability
- Simplification of voter registration in more rural areas
4. Medicine
- Simplified data collection in rural and suburban areas
- Easily accessible patient records through National Health Insurance Scheme Database
- Tele-Medicine