Urban underground medium voltage channel measurements and characterization

Power line communications (PLC) technologies rely on the power grid for data transmission. Since the communications channel is already deployed, this communication alternative is specially interesting for the power grid owner, i.e., the electrical utility (EU). Focusing on the MV distribution network, located after the last step-down electrical substation, with typical levels from 6 to 25 kV, feeds directly large commercial or industrial consumers and domestic and small commercial consumers through several transformer stations. The growing interest on MV-PLC technology, the natural aggregation point for data coming and going into the LV network, faces the same issue that the LV-PLC technology did (and does): standardization. In this way, a properly implemented channel model will allow the design of suitable modulation and access methods This paper presents a complete set of measurements done in a MV urban underground ring and proposes a deterministic model for the MV-PLC transfer function.