Characterization of Narrowband Noise and Channel Capacity for Powerline Communication in France

Narrowband powerline communication (NB-PLC) systems represent a key step for the real development of smart grids’ applications in the medium voltage (MV) and low voltage (LV) networks. This article sums up the results of a complete experimental measurement campaign aimed at investigating the low voltage NB-PLC channel in the frequency range from 9 to 500 kHz in various sites (i.e., rural, urban etc.) located in France. The noise features in time-frequency representation are studied at five different sites between the transformer substation and the smart electricity meter. The main contribution of this study consists in estimating the theoretical channel capacity which constitutes a major interest for the users and actors of the electrical system. The channel capacity calculation shows reliable results in the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) band (a few Mbits/s). The quality of the communication in the FCC band enables to integrate new smart grids’ applications and services based on the existing NB-PLC communication for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).