Noise Characterization and Modelling for Powerline Communications in Nigeria

Powerline Communication (PLC) where electricity infrastructure is been used for data transmission is finding usage in many domain including smart grid, IoT, Data backhaul and for advanced metering. PLC is also combining with visible light communication (VLC) to provide broadband access for home networking. One major impediment to achieving the above is powerline communication noise. Various types of noises are present in power-line communication. New approaches are required to mitigate these noises. These mitigation methods entail noise modeling and designing receivers using these models. In developing such noise models, statistical knowledge of noise parameters are essential which can accurately describe noise present in PLC communication. These noise parameters can be obtained from the experimental measurement. In this paper, therefore, we characterize the various noises in PLC communication at domestic and office scenario; identify the type of noise, their sources and potential impact in PLC data transmission.