| Bangkok, Thailand, September 26th 2022. The G3-PLC Alliance, a leading industry alliance for powerline communication in smart grid applications announced at Enlit Asia the release of their Hybrid PLC&RF solution for the Japanese market.
In 2021, the G3-PLC Alliance introduced the first industry hybrid PLC&RF standard offering extended capabilities for smart grid and IoT applications in one seamlessly managed network over both media. Today, hybrid devices from 5 international chip manufacturers and three product manufacturers have already been certified in PLC bandplans CENELEC and FCC. The G3-PLC Alliance is pleased to announce the extension of the hybrid solution to include ARIB bandplan for Japan. The specification including ARIB Hybrid has been published and the certification of ARIB Hybrid devices will start in the beginning of 2023. Marc Delandre, Chairman of the G3-PLC Alliance, says, “Several of our members already implemented our hybrid PLC&RF products in the field and they show very good results. The concept of hybrid communication has proven successful and there is a lot of interest from the market. Our members also see a lot of potential in Japan for example in markets such as building automation and building energy management systems and therefore we decided to extend our hybrid solution to include ARIB bandplan.” The hybrid protocol stack is built using open standards IEEE 802.15.4-2015 in addition to the existing G3-PLC protocol. Each device in the mesh network can use PLC as well as RF for the communication. Depending on the actual conditions in the field, messages between two devices are sent over the ‘best’ available channel. The channel selection for each link in the network is done automatically and adjusted dynamically. This way, the hybrid solution maximises coverage and connectivity and can provide a more efficient and cost-effective solution for smart grids, smart cities and industrial applications. RF communication can complement the PLC communication for example in locations that are difficult to connect with PLC due to distribution boards. Furthermore, it opens up new use cases as it extends the connectivity of G3-PLC to RF-only devices such as for example sensors which are not connected to power lines. The G3-PLC Hybrid profile is fully compatible and interoperable with existing G3-PLC implementations, so it is possible to mix hybrid and non-hybrid nodes.
About the G3-PLC AllianceThe G3-PLC Alliance is a consortium created in 2011 to standardize and promote G3-PLC technology globally. Today, the G3-PLC Alliance counts nearly 100 members that are international key stakeholders of the smart grid ecosystem, including utilities, semiconductor companies, equipment manufacturers and industrial companies. Together, they support, promote and implement the G3-PLC technology and established an industrial certification program to guarantee the interoperability of devices from different manufacturers. Last year the G3-PLC Alliance marked a major milestone of extending the certification program to include the G3-PLC Hybrid PLC&RF solution. The G3-PLC Hybrid is the first industry hybrid standard offering extended capabilities for smart grid and IoT applications in one seamlessly managed network over both wired and wireless media. For more information visit our website: www.G3-PLC.com Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/g3-plc-alliance/ New Hybrid PLC&RF Solution for the Japanese market |
