HD-PLC Technology With Enhanced Authentication Adopted As IEEE 1901b Standard

Osaka, Japan - Panasonic Corporation announced that the HD-PLC technology with the IEEE 802.1X^*2 authentication function that it proposed to the IEEE Standards Association in November 2020 was approved as the IEEE 1901b standard by the Standards Board of the association on December 8, 2021. This standard meets the high-security requirements of large-scale IoT networks such as smart grids and smart cities.

IEEE 1901b provides strong network security by introducing in IEEE 1901-2020^*3 the function of IEEE 802.1X, which is one of the authentication standards adopted in wired LANs (Ethernet) and wireless LANs.

Panasonic's HD-PLC technology adopted as IEEE 1901 standard includes a multi-hop technology that relays data and includes a long-range transmission technology that concentrates signal energy in the frequency band where signals can easily pass. It is expected to be used in large-scale networks that build social infrastructure, such as AMI^*4 systems in power grids and distributed energy resource management in buildings and factories. HD-PLC technology already provides a high degree of security in communications between devices through functions such as AES^*5 data encryption, encryption key update, and channel estimation^*6. By introducing a network authentication function, Panasonic will strengthen countermeasures against various threats hidden in the network, such as eavesdropping and falsification of information assets caused by unauthorized intrusion of outsiders, and Panasonic will play the role of building a secure IoT communication platform.

Panasonic led the international standardization of the next-generation HD-PLC technology for IoT that was adopted as IEEE 1901a standard in March 2019, and Panasonic started licensing semiconductor IP cores compliant with IEEE 1901-2020 in March 2021. Panasonic will develop and license technologies compliant with this standard to further promote and expand the use of the HD-PLC technology. In addition, by utilizing HD-PLC on various metal wires such as coaxial lines and control lines, not limited to power lines, and building hybrid networks that combine HD-PLC and wireless or other wired technologies according to the installation environment, Panasonic will contribute to promoting IoT/DX/GX in a wide range of fields from living space to social infrastructure.

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• Press Release : HD-PLC Technology With Enhanced Authentication Adopted As IEEE 1901b Standard