Abstract
Powerline carrier (PLC) communications have been heralded by the FCC as the ‘‘3rd wire’’ to every
home, and have matured to the point of field trials and limited deployment. This paper examines the
technology from a techno-economic perspective, factoring in regulatory issues and network design
(focusing on the United States). Results indicate that PLC does not appear to represent a major disruptive
technology, especially from a price-performance perspective. In addition, a baseline stochastic model
created for the analysis shows that not only do competition and penetration matter, but locational
distribution (i.e., how many consumers can share upstream equipment) is critical in determining PLC’s
competitiveness.
Can broadband over powerline carrier (PLC) compete? A techno-economic analysis