Spidcom plans Internet access via power lines in China

French chipmaker Spidcom Technologies is in talks with Chinese telecom operators to bring broadband Internet access over the power lines to Chinese households, a report from Chinadaily.com said.

The Chinadaily.com report also quoted company president Radomir Jovanovic as saying that he is expecting deregulation of power line communications in China due to increasing use of video on home networks.

Chinese fixed-line telephone operators China Telecom and China Netcom have shown increasing interest in power line technology, said Jovanovic, adding that it could boost deregulation of the technology.

'IPTV services could offer a big opportunity for the uptake of power line communications,' he was quoted by the report as saying.

China Telecom and China Netcom are aggressively promoting IPTV services, or high-definition TV over broadband, which they expect to become a significant revenue stream at a time when fixed-line telephone business is slowing down, the report said.

Unlike ADSL technology, the most used broadband Internet access by Chinese households, power lines can provide Internet access in every room as long as there is an electrical outlet, the report said.

Spidcom provides chips for power line modem makers including some Chinese manufacturers, the report added.