OPERA 2 on target with fully functional Powerline Communications system for any grid topology

  • 26-partner PLC consortium awarded top honours by EU

EDITORS NOTE: QUOTE SHEET FOLLOWS THE RELEASE

Madrid, 22nd September 2008 - The 26-partner OPERA 2 Consortium, today announced that the European Commission has endorsed the complete broadband PLC system developed under OPERA 2 to provide data, voice and video services over any grid topology. This system is the result of work undertaken over the last one and half years. This is the second time that EU officials have reviewed achievements and the second time that the consortium achieved top honours for its results.

This OPERA 2 PLC system has been tested and deployed for broadband access, utility-oriented smart grid and tele-surveillance applications and home networking for operator services at the following international locations:

  • CELG Brazil, a Brazilian subsidiary utility
  • Iberdrola, Spain's largest energy supplier and one of the leading utilities in the world
  • LINZ AG, Austria's multi-utility supplier including power and telecommunication services
  • ONI, Portugal's leading alternative fixed line operator

Berthold Haberler, head of innovation management at LINZ AG in Austria, stated: "The main reason for extending our involvement in OPERA has been to benefit from the increase in technology performance that has occurred in recent years. We were looking for a technology to upgrade our commercial BPL service for data and to be able to add on other services, including client side VoIP telesurveillance, telecontrol, and home automation as well as utility-side Smart Grid applications, including AMR. Opera has exceeded our expectations."

Over the last 12 months, the consortium has developed a full set of new devices and features. These include advanced Head End (HE) equipment, improved Customer Premise Equipments (CPE) and OPERA-enabled equipment for Smart Grid applications. This new equipment represents an important improvement in terms of performance. Weilin Liu, Current Technologies International, stated: "We are very pleased with the results achieved with the new equipment developed under OPERA 2. This enhanced equipment marks a major advancement for PLC."
 
OPERA 2 works closely with leading Power line Communications bodies on the development of access and Smart Grid power line applications. OPERA 2 is also actively participating in international standardisation bodies, including IEEE P1901, ETSI, CISPR, where OPERA has been an active contributor. In IEEE P1901 OPERA has worked with all the major companies representing access power line applications in support of including specific requirements in the baseline specification. "The breadth and scope of the research and technical validation undertaken by the OPERA 2 consortium is an important source for future PLC standardisation work." said Javier Arriola, OPERA 2, Coordinator.

OPERA 2 is the largest international consortium dedicated to promoting low cost, high performance Power line Communications (PLC) technology and has developed an open and publicly available specification for the development of PLC and the only specification tested over all grid types for both Smart Grid and service provider home networking services.

"Over the next six months, the OPERA 2 consortium will be actively disseminating the results achieved. The most important period starts now to ensure that the result of the development undertaken is given as wide an audience as possible. OPERA partners plan to continue the roll out of Smart Grid and other applications," said, Javier, Arriola, OPERA 2.

About OPERA
OPERA stands for Open PLC Research Alliance and aims to develop a new generation PLC access standard to accelerate the adoption of low cost, high performance broadband access PLC. The second phase of the project (2007-2008) currently has 26 partners including electricity utilities, OEM manufacturers, technology providers, universities, engineering and consultancy companies and telecom operators. OPERA isco-financed by the European Union under the Sixth R&D Framework Program (FP6), and specifically addresses the theme "Broadband for all" which falls under the responsibility of the Information Society and Technologies Directorate General. www.ist-opera.org

QUOTE SHEET

Service Providers and Network Operators are looking at innovative ways to extend the reach of their Metro Ethernet services to reach more subscribers and satisfy the demand for next generation telecom applications.

ONI has tested OPERA based Power Line Communication equipment to deliver services including IPTV over the electrical infrastructure in the context of the OPERA field trial, said Herlander Castelo Branco
ONI

IBERDROLA considers PLC technology as a key factor in the development of Smart Grid applications".We are very encouraged that the European Commission has recognised the valuable work undertaken to date by the members of the consortium,' stated project coordinator, Javier Arriola of Iberdrola.

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