The IEEE P1901 Working Group has agreed to circulate for approval the first draft for IEEE's first PHY/MAC standard related to Broadband Over Power Lines (BPL), IEEE Std 1901, "Draft Standard for Broadband over Power Line Networks: Medium Access Control and Physical Layer Specifications."

At the recent meeting in Tokyo, Japan, the Working Group has agreed with more than 82% majority vote to convert the working specifications into the first IEEE P1901 BPL draft standard and to conduct a vote on whether the Draft is ready to go to Sponsor Ballot. Votes and comments are due by Sept. 14.

"This is a major milestone," says Jean-Philippe Faure, chair of the IEEE P1901 Working Group. "Main development is completed and finalization now starts through successive rounds of circulations for vote and comment."

The draft is based on field proven technologies using FTT and Wavelet OFDM modulation schemes. It provides high performance and robust communications with privacy and high quality of service.

"This is a comprehensive specification that addresses all BPL applications including LANs, Smart Grid networks and Broadband access," says Faure. "The draft fully meets the over 400 technical requirements developed by the experts in these areas. The coexistence and interoperability part ensures all equipment and devices used on BPL networks are compatible." The draft also provides seamless integration with other communication media, such as Wi-Fi and Ethernet.