Velchip - Service & Networking Solutions

Broadband over Powerline (BPL)

Overview

Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology uses existing electric wires to provide symmetric digital communication services at multi-megabit data rates to enable services such as high-speed Internet access, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), video, and in-home networking. BPL enables PCs, telephones, and multimedia devices to exchange information between one another and the Internet and other networks by simply plugging into existing electrical outlets.

Additionally, BPL adds intelligence to the electric distribution system, enabling Intelligent Grid Services such as two-way automated meter reading (AMR), outage detection, demand side management, power quality management and much more, resulting in improved electric network reliability, security, and efficiency as well as increased customer service quality.

Learn more about the many solutions made possible by BPL:

Access BPL: Broadband communications services to residential and business customers over the electric distribution system.
In-Building BPL: Broadband communications services to and throughout residences and business customers residing in multi-tenant buildings.
Intelligent Grid Services: BPL applications that enable utilities to improve the security, reliability and efficiency of the electric distribution system.
Telephony: Telephone service using Voice over IP over the BPL network.

Access BPL

VELCHIP® uniquely offers a complete business and technical solution for deploying and operating a Broadband over Power Line (BPL) system using the existing electric distribution system. The VELCHIP® BPL system offers both voice and data services to residents and small businesses while providing the Smart Grid Services required by utilities.

The Access BPL system is overlaid on the electric distribution system to provide a high-speed broadband network capable of delivering a myriad of services to residential and business customers.

VELCHIP® Access BPL system offer many benefits, including:

Best end-user experience: Consumers self-install their Internet access in minutes using a commercially available HomePlug® modem. They then have high-speed broadband access using existing electric wiring from any electrical outlet in their home.
Easy provisioning, operation and maintenance: All power line components are installed using existing tools and techniques. This means that minimal training is required for line crews to install the VELCHIP BPL system.
Optimize use of capital: Using our "smart build" methodology, the system can be deployed in stages.
Scales to millions of users: Designed from the ground up to scale across complete operating regions.
Automated provisioning and operation: VELCHIP network management software automatically provisions and manages all aspects of the BPL system. The entire BPL system can be operated from a single network operations center (NOC), greatly reducing operational expenses.
Integrates with existing systems: VELCHIPis designed to interface easily with billing, inventory management, outage management, and other back-end systems using a flexible set of standards-based application programming interfaces (APIs) to share information. Each back-end system can be owned and operated by a different entity, such as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or utility operations center.
Intelligent Grid Services: BPL enables many advanced utility features, including automated outage and restoration detection, conservation voltage reduction, power quality monitoring, automated meter reading, electric distribution management functions like managing capacitor banks, and demand-side management.

In-Building BPL

VELCHIP®     offers a complete business and technical solution for deploying and operating an in-building Broadband over Power Line (BPL) system. Our system provides broadband access to every electrical outlet in multi-tenant commercial and residential buildings without adding new and expensive wiring.
The VELCHIP®    In-building BPL system is overlaid on a building’s existing electrical wiring to provide a high-speed broadband network capable of delivering a myriad of services to residential and business customers.
VELCHIP®    In-building BPL system offer many benefits, including:

Economically enables broadband services: Any building, regardless of age, can now economically support broadband Internet access and other services, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), that are highly valued by many tenants.
Best end-user experience: Consumers and businesses self-install their broadband access in minutes using a commercially available HomePlug® modem. They then have high-speed broadband access using existing electric wiring from any outlet.
Easy provisioning, operation and maintenance: All BPL components are easily installed by an electrician in a standard electric closet. No wires need to be run to users, making the installation quick and easy. An entire building can be installed quickly and economically.
Automated network management and operation: VELCHIP® network management software automatically provisions and manages all aspects of the BPL system. Buildings can be managed individually or as a group from a single network operations center (NOC), greatly reducing operational expenses. VELCHIP® network outages quickly to minimize impact on end users.
Integrates with existing systems:CURRENT Viewis designed to interface easily with billing, inventory management, outage management, and other back-end systems using a flexible set of standards-based application programming interfaces (APIs) to share information.
Intelligent Grid Services: BPL enables many advanced in-building control applications that can greatly reduce the cost of operating a large multi-dwelling unit (MDU). The types of applications enabled include remote control of lighting and environmental controls.

Intelligent Grid Services

VELCHIP Intelligent Grid Services empower the electric utility to improve the operation and efficiency of its electric distribution system. BPL enables many of the advanced Smart Grid solutions that have been discussed for years but never fully implemented because of economic and technical challenges. These solutions will improve the security, reliability and efficiency of the electric distribution system and provide the utility with significant cost savings.
VELCHIP® enables Intelligent Grid Services in multiple ways, including:

Intelligent monitoring devices on every low voltage segment throughout the distribution system. For example, the bridge equipment collects voltage readings on the low side of the transformer, reports these back to the monitoring system for analysis, and provides an alarm if the voltage is out of the acceptable range.
Broadband communications. BPL constitutes a broadband network overlaid on the electric distribution system. This means that a broadband connection is available for carrying the communications necessary for distribution automation, AMR, and other utility applications.
Network Management. The BPL system is monitored and controlled by the VELCHIP network management system. This ensures a reliable communications system for carrying Intelligent Grid communications. The VELCHIP system monitors and aggregates the information collected by the BPL network, such as low voltage measurements. This information can then be reviewed later or the network management system can alert the utility operator to a problem.

Learn more about VELCHIP Intelligent Grid services:

Intelligent Grid Services Overlay. Most elements of the electric distribution system can benefit from Smart Grid Services when a BPL network is installed.

Intelligent Grid Service Solutions. VELCHIP provides a number of services today and is actively working with well known utility vendors to bring new and cutting edge Intelligent Grid Services to market.

Intelligent Grid Development Network. VELCHIP has taken a leadership position by bringing together a wide variety of companies committed to enabling utilities to create their own BPL-based Intelligent Grids.