FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  August 2006  

The PowerLine 85 Ethernet Adapter (PL85) provides fast, reliable and secure data transmission over mains wiring within a building

AdvaTel, one of Australia’s most established development organisations servicing the telecommunications industry, has launched the country’s fastest broadband over powerlines (BPL) product.

AdvaTel’s PowerLine 85 (PL85) (85Mbps transmission rate) Ethernet adapter provides high speed, reliable and secure data transmission mains wiring within a building. It delivers on the promise of always-on, high speed internet availability anywhere there's a power point. It is designed to be used for the transmission of data over power lines within a building.

“Our PL85 delivers on the promise set years ago of always-on, high speed internet availability anywhere there's a power point,” said Michael Terry, Managing Director of AdvaTel. “Wherever there is AC power, then instant bandwidth is available through PL technology. PL is quick, safe and economical, providing genuine flexibility to all businesses. Let’s face it, who doesn’t have power points?”

The new PL technology allows the installation services sector to offer customers ‘instant’ broadband LAN connections without impacting on business’s productivity. The data rate is not affected adversely by walls or concrete slabs and there is no interference from other networks - as is the case with wireless solutions. No workmen are needed on site to drill holes (often through concrete slabs), run cables or move panels.

The uses are endless for the technology - out the back of warehouses, adding additional computer points at a fraction of the normal cost, moving premises and literally taking your ‘cabling’ with you in the form of the PL units.

The home market will also be attracted to the technology due to its ease of implementation – taking literally one minute to set up – welcomed flexibility in being able to move a notebook, which has been literally locked into the broadband connection location, to anywhere in the house. ”This is truly liberating for a family,” said Mr Terry.

AdvaTel is selling its PL85 starter kit at $253.00 RRP – the pack contains two Ethernet BPL units. The product is also available for online ordering from the company’s website – www.adavtel.com.au.

Mr Terry explains that the technology does not suffer from the problems of wireless solutions that require PC hardware as well and someone with IT knowledge to set it up. Today, wireless still brings with it serious security issues as well as inconsistent transmission coverage.

AdvaTel’s PL equipment ensures complete security of data and as well as the inability for hackers to access the bandwidth. Security is all inbuilt with the user not having to do anything special to ensure very high security is maintained.

The first level of security is provided via a pass word. Only PL units with the same password can send and receive data between each other. The second level of security is covered by the actual transmission between the PL units being encrypted. The encryption levels are high and use 56 Bit DES and 128-Bit and 256-Bit AES. Mr Terry is confident his PL units are completely hacker proof.

Earlier regulator concerns about lack of standards and service quality have been solved. The AdvaTel PL85 equipment is based on the standard IEEE 802.3 Ethernet and the IEEE 802.1q VLAN as well as the IEEE 802.3x Flow Control.

“The user does not require any training to use the technology. Moreover, users’ PC equipment requires no additional software or hardware to be installed. It is all based on the standard Ethernet connection,” said Mr Terry.

Earlier units based on a data rate 14 Mbps were not effective because, when the encryption and transmission overheads were taken off, the data rate was too slow for many popular applications. If users are going to use the PL for a VoIP application or similar, then 14Mbps will not cut it, after the overheads are allowed for, and domestically 85Mbps technology is essential for the majority of interactive games.

“There was never any concern that there would not be workable business models but rather the technical one of interference to radio and TV broadcast services,” said Mr Terry.

In the early days, high-frequency radio communications users, such as commercial and private aircraft, emergency services, coastal maritime, government services and radio amateurs lobbied against the technology, saying PL systems interfered with their transmissions, while the PL systems themselves would also be susceptible to interference from all these services.

Mr Terry maintains that the technology concentrates within the internals of buildings; there are no interference issues as opposed to the transmission of broadband data over the public power lines located in our streets where telecom companies and electricity utilities focus their Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) efforts.

Product details
Advatel BPL standard pack contains:
2 x Ethernet BPL units
2 x Ethernet cables
1 x CD – to enable user to change password
Manual located online at www.advatel.com/BPL
Priced at $253.00 for Starter Kit
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About AdvaTel
Established 16 years ago, AdvaTel is an Australian software development company heavily involved in R&D and innovation. It provides a diverse range of advanced, cost effective solutions for the telecommunications industry.

The company is based in Melbourne and has a highly experienced in-house development team able to respond quickly to market demands.

Solutions and products are sold globally and through its channel community. AdvaTel is the market leader for call centre queue management solutions. Its softphone solution, the Phone Easy product suite, is delivering quantifiable productivity results for users by converting desktops into virtual phones through its time saving tools, its ability to mine Outlook, drag & drop features, call scheduling and activity monitoring log.

Visit www.advatel.com.au.

Media and product enquiries
Michael Terry, Managing Director, AdvaTel, tel: +61 3 8695 8695
Dolores Diez, Corporate Communications, AdvaTel: +61 3 8695 8695 / 0417 330 881, email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .