CEPT ERC SE35

activities on
compatibility between
radio services and PLT
(Power Line
Telecommunications)
Dubrovnik, 6-7 March 2001
Bernard Desprs
Chairman CEPT SE35
France Telecom R&D

SE35presentation.ppt

History of the work in CEPT -1

In 1999, the UK administration presented in CEPT ERC Working Group
Spectrum Engineering (WG SE) papers on the Power Line
Telecommunication (PLT) trials in the Manchester area and on the
potential disturbances induced into radio services

May 1999, a PLT correspondence group was established within WG SE

A questionnaire on the PLT National regulations and on the appropriate
way to regulate such systems was prepared in Summer 1999 and sent to
CEPT administrations participating in WG SE.
10 answers were received and a compilation was prepared.

In the course of this work, the idea was expressed to also address other
types of cable transmission systems like xDSL and cable TV

France Telecom R&D

SE35presentation.ppt - November 23, 2000

History of the work in CEPT -2

A special meeting on PLT was organised in Mainz on December 6-7,
1999.
Conclusion from the Mainz meeting : The group recommends to WG SE to
create a Project Team on Power Line Telecommunications (PLT) and
cable transmissions in general.

February 2000 : at the CEPT ERC WG SE meeting in Naples, the

proposal was endorsed and it was decided to establish a new Project
Team SE35 entitled :
Power Line Telecommunications (PLT) and cable transmissions in
general

France Telecom R&D

SE35presentation.ppt - November 23, 2000

SE35 terms of reference

Extracts from the approved SE35 terms of reference :
identify the frequency ranges over which PLT and cable transmission are likely to

operate now and for the future ;

identify those services that are likely to be affected by PLT and cable
transmissions
in
general
(broadcasting,
maritime,
radionavigation,
radioamateurs) and evaluate their protection needs ;
investigate methods of measuring the emissions from PLT and cable
transmissions ;
perform compatibility studies to derive limiting values for emissions from PLT
and cable transmissions to protect primary services ;
propose a harmonised European approach for PLT systems and cable
transmissions in general ;
produce a report covering the various aspects for wide consultation within
Europe ;
in the course of these studies, liaise closely with the relevant EMC
standardisation committees and with ITU-R WP 1A and 1C.

France Telecom R&D

SE35presentation.ppt - November 23, 2000

SE35 activities
Since the creation of the group, four meetings have been held with an
average participation of 25 people from 10 CEPT administrations and
from the industry
Work has progressed towards the preparation of an ERC report on PLT,
cable transmission in general and their effects on radiocommunication
services
Liaison statements have been sent and received from several CEPT and
ETSI standardisation groups

Information has been gathered on the characteristics of radio services

to be protected (frequency band, sensitivity, protection ratio) in the
frequency ranges where cable signals run (1-30 MHz for PLT)

The ERO and WG FM have made a review and will produce a report on
the use of the HF band throughout CEPT
France Telecom R&D
SE35presentation.ppt - November 23, 2000

Field trial results in Germany-1

Field strength measured outside the building at 5 meters from the injection point
(transformer room), compared with the proposed German NB30 limit (red line, the limit is
defined at 3 meters) ; the PLT injected level is +17 dBm and ranges from 2 to 3 MHz
80

70

E in dB(V/m)

60
NB30_3m
T5MSWQ_on in dBV/m
T5MSWQ_off in dBV/m
T5MS_on in dBV/m

50

40

30

20
0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

frequency (kHz)

France Telecom R&D

SE35presentation.ppt - November 23, 2000

Field trial results in Germany-2

Field strength measured at 3 meters outside a house (this experiment combined both
access and in-House PLT) compared with the proposed German NB30 limit (red line) ; the
PLT injected level is +10 dBm and ranges from 1.5 to 3.5 MHz
In both trials, when the injected PLT signal exceeds 10 dBm, the result exceeds NB30
Effective field strength PLT RWE Essen /ASCOM , 3 metres outdoor
1: outdoor
masterthe
in continous
mode
10 dBm
But, if lower injection curve
levels
are used,
radiation
level
is around the NB 30 level
curve 2: all PLT transmitters off

80

E e ff d B ( V /m )

70

60
Eeff_on
Eeff_off
NB30_3m

50

40

30

20
0

1000

2000

3000
frequency (kHz)

4000

5000

6000

France Telecom R&D

SE35presentation.ppt - November 23, 2000

Field trials in Norway

Two pilot-projects took place in Norway in two different cities with two
different PLT manufacturers

Maximum field strength measured at 3 meters range from 45 to 65 dBV/m

(as a comparison, the proposed German NB30 limit range from 30 to 40
dBV/m)

Listening tests with a shortwave radio receiver showed that radiation from
the powerline systems gave an embarrassing noise in the frequency
corresponding to the PLT wanted signals
Audible interference up to 350 meters from the line in some cases

France Telecom R&D

SE35presentation.ppt - November 23, 2000

Other SE35 results

A measurement procedure based on two initial proposals made by the UK
and German administrations have been elaborated. It explains the
procedure to measure radiated field around cable transmission installations
Theoretical calculations on the cumulative effect of a large number of PLT
or cable transmission installations have been presented
Results of an extensive study involving measurements and calculations
made in Switzerland on the far field behaviour of electricity lines have also
been presented
The PLC Forum presented K factor values (ratio between the injected
power fed into the cable and the resulting radiated field at a given distance)
measured over a very large number of PLT installations

All these elements will be incorporated into the ERC report in preparation

France Telecom R&D

SE35presentation.ppt - November 23, 2000

Latest developments in CEPT

WG FM (Frequency Management) February 2001 meeting :
Extract from an approved liaison statement to ETSI on PLT :
During the meeting of WG FM many administrations expressed serious
doubts about the possibility to allocate spectrum to PLT applications
based on the current regulations and definitions in the Radio
Regulations such due to the fact that PLT applications cannot be
considered as a radio service. These doubts relate to the possibility of
changing the Radio Regulations to the benefit of systems like PLT at a
future competent WRC.

WG SE (Spectrum Engineering) February 2001 meeting :

WG SE instructed SE35 to prepare an ERC Recommendation which

should define generic flat or slowly varying limits (likely to be based on

the German and UK limits) for any PLT and cable transmission
installation

France Telecom R&D

SE35presentation.ppt - November 23, 2000

Conclusions : SE35 future

activities on PLT
The work continues towards the preparation of an ERC report on PLT,
cable transmission in general and their effects on radiocommunication
services : the aim is to produce a first consolidated draft to be
presented at the WG SE meeting in May 2001

Work will start towards the preparation of an ERC Recommendation

proposing some limits to be applied to PLT and similar cable
transmission systems : the agreed time scale is to try to have it finalised
for the WG SE October meeting

In the course of these activities, close liaison with the relevant

standardisation bodies (CENELEC, ETSI) will be maintained

France Telecom R&D

SE35presentation.ppt - November 23, 2000