Competing Technologies?

The Smart Wired, wireless and broadband over power line industry have come together for a think-tank about the future of emerging technologies.

The objective was to discuss how best to meet the education and training needs of electrical contractors installing these new technologies. The meeting recognised that even though the industry had joined forces to establish the standardised Smart Wired ? platform, there was a need to extent its utility to include the underpinning of broadband over power line, wireless and fibre.

?Technology and options for connectivity to broadband have come along very quickly, but no one has sat down and thought about the complications at the installer end?, says Jeff Patchell, Managing Director, Connected Homes.

?It was realised that industry leaders need to get together and work through these things or the industry will look very scattered in solving what will be everyday problems.?

Think-tank participants agreed that there is common ground between the technologies and a real possibility of working together to complement each other?s strengths and weaknesses.

?While each technology has its limitations and shortcomings, they clearly all have a place in the landscape and can meet a customer?s particular requirement?, says Peter Glynn, CEO, NECA.

Copper Development Centre CEO, John Fennell, adds that all parties saw the value of linking in with a structured wiring system to get the services delivered to each room in the house.

?We started to see that for an effective wireless system, for example, it should be backed up quite solidly by copper wire in the walls. There is some real opportunity for contractors to extend the utility of wireless systems if there is structured wiring in place,? he says.

The emerging picture of the future is that services will be delivered to the network termination device on the side of the home via optic fibre. The signals ? whether they are TV, sound, subscription TV, telephone or internet ? would then be distributed out to each room of the house on the copper wiring platform.

There would be extension of these services through wireless systems in various rooms.  Should the services be delivered to the home via BPL, it was agreed that the best way to deliver these signals throughout the house would also be over the Smart Wired? platform.

With this as the most likely scenario, the conclusion was reached that industry must find a way to accordingly upgrade the skills of electrical contractors. Tradesmen and apprentices doing the Smart Wired ? training course through Milcom or TAFE, for example, will need additional training to understand the wireless and broadband over power line technologies.

?By upgrading the Smart Wired ? course to reflect wireless and other technologies, we are encouraging the view that these technologies are complementary. By training our contractors to understand how they work together, consumers will be able to maximise the benefits of these technologies,? says Ian Milner, Managing Director, Milcom.

?As an industry we have a responsibility to upgrade our skills,? adds Mr Patchell. ?Just as you expect your doctor to constantly update themselves on their techniques and solutions, the electrical industry shouldn?t be any different.?

?Home automation is a very important commercial opportunity for electrical contractors. Increasingly, this technology is becoming everyday work for an electrician. This think-tank was an important part of the process of ensuring electrical contractors are equipped to take up these business opportunities as they become available and our electricians are able to efficiently complete the work,? says Mr Glynn.

The think-tank continues over the coming months, with the next meeting expected to refine the proposition to the market and examine ways to communicate and run comprehensive training.