2006 ISPLC Conference March 27, 2006

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2006 ISPLC Conference March 27, 2006
BPL / PLCA Market Perspective
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The State of BPL / PLC

• Retail broadband offerings and utility
  applications have been implemented successfully
• Broadband competitive with DSL and Cable
  offerings
• Utility applications like Automatic Meter
  Reading, DLC, and outage detection gearing up for
  deployment
• Worldwide recognition of both applications
• Regulatory climate is more and more supportive
• Texas provided the framework for the US,
  California coming next
• FCC certification for US deployments beginning,
  other markets moving
• Commercial deployments are growing
• Cinergy and TXU pioneering in the US
• Europe and Asia growing everyday

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An Ecosystem of Support for BPL / PLC
Vendors
Utilities
Government
Strategy Implementation Support
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CURRENT Communications Group is a
vertically-integrated broadband powerline (BPL)
communications multi-system operator
EQUIPMENT CURRENT Technologies invents,
engineers, and builds state-of-the-art BPL
equipment and software that transforms electric
distribution lines into a broadband network for
data, voice and video.
SERVICES CURRENT Communications deploys and
operates BPL systems for both residential and
business customers. It can also function as a
complete Internet Service Provider (ISP).
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BPL/PLC Market Dynamics

• BPL / PLC is in the eye of the beholder
• In-Home LAN replacement / Broadband
  connection sharing
• In-Network Broadband to customers / DSL and
  cable competitive
• In-Building LAN / WAN connectivity inside or
  to building
• In-Control Home appliance automation
• DSL, Cable companies driving In-Home
• Europe and Asia dominated by In Building
• US more focused on In Network
• Consumer electronics companies driving In
  Control

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Currents BPL solution for In-Network
Architecture
CT View Network Management System
Current NodeCT Coupler CT Backhaul-Point
Carrier POP
Current NodeCT Coupler CT Backhaul-Point
Fiber or wireless backhaul
Metro Area Network
Distribution-Point
Medium Voltage Primary
CT Coupler CT Bridge
CT Coupler CT Bridge
Medium Voltage Primary
Low voltage lines
Low voltage lines
Modems at Premises
Current Communications Group

Confidential Information
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In-Network The Broadband Services Component

Broadband Data10 Mbps
Features
Services
Truly Plug-and-playJust plug in to any
electrical outlet
VoiceVoice over IP (VoIP)
Low-Latency SymmetricalQuality of Service
applications Ideal for new Internet usage
patterns
VideoVideo on Demand Video Instant Messaging IP
Television
Instant Local Area Network All electrical
outlets become ports for broadband access and
local-area networking simple wireless overlay
and integration
GamingOn Demand Online
CURRENT Broadband for Homes Businesses
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In-Network The Utility Applications Component

• Four Key Smart Grid Data-Ecosystems
• Device Based AMR, DLC
• Transformer Based Voltage, Current, Power
• Grid Based Outage, fault, vegetation,
  maintenance
• Sub-Station Based Automation and monitoring

CURRENT Broadband for Homes Businesses
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In-Network The Utility Applications Component

• Device Based BPL Enabled AMR
• Two-way, high speed Internet-style
  communications over the CURRENT BPL
  infrastructure
• Comprehensive functionality, including
• 15 minute reads
• On demand reads
• Remote software upgrade capability
• Proactive alarming and flagging of unusual
  events
• TOU, CPP and RTP pricing capability
• Gas and water AMR functionality under
  development

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In-Network The Utility Applications Component

• Device Based BPL Enabled DLC
• DLC units concurrently installed with BPL AMR
  units to demonstrate real time verification and
  quantification of kW shed
• Complete two-way functionality
• Immediate verification that unit was contacted
• Systematic monitoring of unit to verify
  availability
• Systematic monitoring of unit and home usage to
  verify savings potential from shed event

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In-Network The Utility Applications Component

• Transformer Based Secondary Voltage
• Monitors both legs of the transformer
• Allows for user-defined data collection and
• analysis
• Proactive alarming and reporting
• 1 Accuracy
• Record by Exception (with settable parameters)

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In-Network The Utility Applications Component

• Grid Based Outage Detection
• All BPL devices are managed elements
• CURRENT BPL equipment includes dying gasp
  functionality which notifies back office systems
  when power has been cut
• Algorithms and analysis can be done to isolate
  and determine locality of outages
• Outage restoration notification automatic as
  devices come back on line

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In-Network The Utility Applications Component

• Sub-Station Based BPL Camera
• Allows utilitys security organization to
  monitor assets remotely as part of the NERC 1300
  Cyber Security requirements
• BPL has plenty of bandwidth to operate camera
  in real time
• Camera gives the utility the ability to zoom in
  on critical assets
• Potential user benefits (DVR, motion sensing,
  zoom, infrared scanning, etc.) are limited by the
  choice of camera, not the BPL network

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In Network / In Building Worldwide Deployments
Electricité de France France, Europe
Endesa S.A. Spain, Europe
Singapore Power Telecommunication Ltd Singapore,
Asia
Energie Baden-Württemberg AG Germany, Europe
Lyse Kraft Norway, Europe
Entreprises Electriques Fribourgeoises Switzerland
, Europe
Reykjavik Energy Iceland, Europe
PowerCom Network Hong Kong Ltd Hong Kong, Asia
Turku Energia Finland, Europe
Compañia General de Electricidad Chile, South
America
Countries with CURRENT PLC installations
Kuopion Energia Finland, Europe
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In Network Worldwide Deployments
Switzerland - main city and villages in the area
of Fribourg- over 3000 commercial low voltage
access users - MV technology used as backhaul as
well as distance extension - strong competitor
against traditional DSL and Cable providers -
voice integration part of future project
enlargement

• Finland
• - two major cities covered via Turku and Kuopio
  Energia
• - total 6000 homes covered with PLC- backbone
  provided by local telecom operators- 20 cells
  backed up via MV technology for lower backhaul
  costs

• Malaysia
• - official Ascom partner acts as local integrator
  in strong relationsship with utility -
  countrywide PLC deployment in preparation /
  planification- complete End-to-End installation
  concept providing Voice and Data services
• - urban and rural areas to be covered

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In-Building Worldwide Deployments
Hungary - 450 apartments commercial operation- 7
to 9 floor buildings with 4 apartments/floor -
Deployment with 1 to 3 Masters per building -
Wireless Backbone connectivity, Ethernet-bridge
to PLC - Less than 2 months from project start to
commercial operation

• Hong Kong
• - High risers with average 30 floors per building
  8 apartments per floor
• - More than 50000 CPEs deployed- Multiple
  master set-up
• - 1 master covers approximately 8 floors
• - Optical Fibre Backbone to the buildings

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Technology Opportunities

• Continued support and consolidation of standards
  efforts
• IEEE P1901,1675, and 1775 efforts
• Homeplug, Opera, UPA
• Further development in fault and predictive
  maintenance
• Underground cable fault detection / signatures
• Vegetation management / detection
• Pin-pointing noise increases over baseline
• Continued improvement of chipset technologies to
  adapt to both MV and LV environments
• Noise dominated vs. attenuation
• BUZZ vs. HISS noise
• Ranging over 2 - 50 MHz