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The G3-PLC Alliance announced that eleven new members have joined the international alliance whose goal is to promote the G3-PLC communications standard. These companies are all stakeholders in the smart grid ecosystem, including utilities, equipment manufacturers, R&D and test labs, and semiconductor makers. The approval of the G3-PLC standard by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and the broad based Alliance membership, now give utilities confidence that the interoperable G3-PLC-based equipment and tools will be available for their projects.
The ITU recently approved the G3-PLC protocol as a low-frequency, OFDM-based narrowband powerline communications (NB-PLC) standard. The G3-PLC is the first NB-PLC standard that supports the IPv6 Internet protocol, allowing new internet-based energy management systems for use by utilities and grid operators to better manage their assets on the grid. Utility companies can now plan their deployments utilizing G3-PLC technology to achieve cost-effective smart grid systems that meet customer’s needs.
New members include MRSK, large Russian electricity distribution, construction and research company, and Atos Worldgrid, an energy systems integrator. Also joining are three equipment manufacturers, Elster offering measurement-and-control and systems integration, Iskreameco delivering energy measurement systems, and devolo AG providing communications solutions to the Smart Grid. Also, four semiconductor companies, Accent Semiconductor, Enverve, Freescale, NXP and Renesas join LAN testing laboratory as new members.
These companies, coupled with the G3-PLC founding members, encompass all levels of the smart grid industry, attesting to the significance and growing investment in G3-PLC technology. G3-PLC based products and solutions are available today, from communications chipsets to full-scale deployments.
