Spidcom in talks to power up Internet access

French chipmaker Spidcom Technologies is in talks with Chinese telecom operators to bring broadband Internet access over the power lines to Chinese households.

Company president Radomir Jovanovic is expecting deregulation of power line communications (PLC) in China due to increasing use of video on home networks.

PLC offers consumers an alternative to traditional ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) technology for broadband Internet access. Users can plug a PLC modem into any electrical outlet to access the Web as PLC is overlaid on the electrical distribution system. That makes it convenient for home and SOHO (small office home office) users.