"PLC" that can communicate by inserting it into an outlet, why is it attracting attention again? New applications due to the revision of the Radio Law

Do you know a communication device called PLC? Simply put, it is possible to build a communication environment through the power line of the existing outlet without laying a new LAN cable. Data communication can be performed by connecting the PLC adapter to two outlets.

If you have been involved in the Internet for a long time, you may think, "It was there a long time ago, but it disappeared, right?" Certainly, the original PLC had slow communication speeds and compatibility problems, and Wi-Fi (wireless LAN) appeared and Wi-Fi spread rapidly along with the spread of smartphones. Pushed by it, PLC almost disappeared.

However, since around 2017, Panasonic has become the flagship, and the new generation "HD-PLCTM*1" has begun to be reconsidered. One of the reasons is actually the spread of Wi-Fi.

*1 The name of the high-speed power line communication system advocated by Panasonic, which is a registered trademark or trademark in Japan and other countries.

Wi-Fi has become more convenient as the speed has increased year by year, but on the other hand, the Wi-Fi signal is blocked by the walls of the room, the ceiling and floor of each floor, and in some cases even one door, and the signal becomes uneven. there is

On the other hand, the demand for communication anywhere in the house, such as IoT home appliances that are connected to the Internet and become convenient, is growing. With Wi-Fi, the radio waves are extremely weak at walls and doors, but with an HD-PLC that uses an outlet, it is easy to cross doors and floors. Just plug the PLC adapter into an outlet to complete the LAN. *2

If necessary, a wireless LAN access point can be connected to the HD-PLC, so it can be used to link access points. PLC, which was dying due to the spread of Wi-Fi, will help Wi-Fi this time.

*2 A PLC adapter for the repeater may be required on the distribution board