European Commissions Powerline Project started

Brussels 30. 1. 2004 (PROTEXT/ots) - The EU-sponsoredPowerline project OPERA Open PLC European Research Alliance,which is part of the larger broadband project Broadband for All,started work on January 1, 2004. With OPERA the EuropeanCommission is emphasising the importance of Powerline for theEuropean broadband market. OPERA is being sponsored within theframework of the initiative eEurope and its appendant projectInformation Society Technologies (IST). The project stretchesover two project phases, each lasting two years. Total budgetfor the projects first phase is 20 million euros. Aninternational consortium of utilities, technology companies,research institutions and consultants will develop a uniformEuropean Powerline standard. The European Commissions long-termgoal is to further develop the broadband market in Europe and toestablish Powerline as an additional pillar beside DSL and cableaccess.

The European Commission has set itself the goal of promotingmore intensely broadband Internet access in Europe. Powerlinetechnology is recognised as an important platform here. Toensure that the expansion and implementation of Powerlinenetworks continues to be pursued rigorously in Europe, the OPERAProject commenced work on January 1, 2004. This project isexpected to last four years. The projects first phase hasalready been planned in detail, and has been allocated a totalbudget of 20 million euros. The European Commission willcontribute 9 million to the total budget. Within the scope ofthe overall project, 36 companies and research institutions areworking together in an international consortium.

One of the goals of the EU-project is to intensifycompetition in the access network field. It is especiallyimportant that, through Powerline, structurally weak and ruralareas will also enjoy broadband Internet access coverage.Particularly these areas have, in the past, been deliberatelyneglected during coverage with conventional technologies. As,apart from the Internet application, Powerline offers a range ofother possibilities, such as telephony or applications in corebusiness, new applications based on Powerline should increasethe quality of life for European citizens in the future. TheEuropean Commissions long-term goal is to further develop thebroadband market in Europe and to encourage the development ofcomplementary and competitive infrastructures, like Powerline,as additional pillars beside DSL and cable access.

The members in the OPERA Project are:

- Advanced Digital Design S. A., Spain - AristotelesUniversity of Thessaloniki, Greece - Ascom Systec AG, Switzerland

- Auna Telecommunicaiones S.A., Spain - Dieseno de Sistemasen Silicios S. A. (DS2), Spain - Dimat S. A., Spain - EichhoffGmbH, Germany - Electricité de France, France - Elsys Design SA,France - Endesa Ingeniería de Telecommunicaciones, S. L., Spain -Endesa Net Factory, Spain - Enel.It S.P.A, Italy - EutelisConsult Italia & Associates SRL, Italy - Fundación Robotiker,Spain - Iberdrola Ingeniería y Consultoría, Spain - Iberdrola, S.A., Spain - INESC Inovacao-Instituto de Novas Tecnologias,Portugal - Itran Communications Ltd., Israel - Linz Strom GmbH,Austria - Main.net Communications Ltd., Israel - MitsubishiElectric Information Technology Centre Europe B. V., France - MVVEnergie AG, Germany - ONItelecom, SA, Portugal - PLCforumAssociation, Belgium - Power PLUS Communications AG, Germany - SElectric Powerline Communications AB, Sweden - Swiss FederalInstitute of Technology (EPFL), Switzerland - TechnischeUniversität Dresden, Germany - Telvent Energía y Medio Ambiente,Spain - The Open University, Great Britain - Unión Fenosa, S. A.,Spain - University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany - University ofKarlsruhe, Germany - University of Politécnica de Madrid, Spain -University of Pontificia Comillas, Spain

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