Europe charges up powerline internet access
European Commission drops €9.6 million to develop broadband over electrical grids.


The European Commission is spending €9.6 million to develop the next generation of powerline technology - using national electricity grids to carry broadband access.
The Open PLC European Research Alliance (Opera) will use the funding to rollout and to test how well the low-cost internet access works for high data rate applications such as telephony and video-on-demand.
Opera now uses specifications based on Spanish chipmaker DS2, who said the funding is a major step forward for powerline communications. "The level of industry cooperation and support has been overwhelming, allowing OPERA to produce a specification that meets the requirements imposed by global electricity companies,' said Victor Dominguez, director of strategy and standardisation at DS2.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
Freelance journalist Nicole Kobie first started writing for ITPro in 2007, with bylines in New Scientist, Wired, PC Pro and many more.
Nicole the author of a book about the history of technology, The Long History of the Future.
-
The IT industry’s shift to circular, low-carbon solutions
Maximize your hardware investment and reach your sustainability goals with HP’s Renew Solutions
-
Lenovo ThinkPad X9 14 Aura Edition review
Reviews This thin and light ultraportable will draw you in with its vibrant screen – but it isn't as powerful as some of its competitors