The multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technique is well known in the field of wireless communications, and has recently been proposed to increase the capacity of in-home power line communication (PLC) networks. MIMO PLC employs the protective earth in addition to the classical line and neutral wires to form a multi-sensor transmission channel. By considering the additional reception of common-mode signals, up to two simultaneous transmit ports and four receive ports can be considered. In order to develop new signal processing strategies optimally exploiting the MIMO propagation characteristics and to evaluate their performance, the accurate modeling of the transmission channel is necessary. This paper presents a comprehensive statistical model of the in-home MIMO PLC channel based on an extensive measurement data base collected in six European countries. The paper first analyzes the main MIMO PLC channel parameters, including path loss parameters and wideband parameters, such as the delay spread, coherence bandwidth, and small-scale statistics. A focus is then made on the MIMO correlation matrix, and its modeling using empirical statistical distributions. A fully parameterized channel model is then developed, with a particular emphasis on both the frequency fading structure of the transfer function and the correlation matrix between sub-channels. As a result, the proposed model generates random MIMO PLC channel realizations, statistically representative of the experimental observations.

In-house power line communication (PLC) enables new and highly convenient networking functions without any additional cables to mains-powered devices. Since wireless networks are not able to reach sufficient throughput between different rooms or even floors, PLC is considered to be the ideal backbone home network medium, providing complementary and seamless interaction with wireless networks. To gain knowledge about the PLC channel, measurements were done in 21 buildings across Europe. More than 700 outlets were connected. The measurement results were used to calculate the theoretical channel capacity according to Shannon's law. A comparison of various regulatory emission levels is presented. An estimation of the potential of OFDM based PLC system is provided. Finally, a mechanism to avoid radiation from PLC to ensure coexistence with SW radio applications and an outlook to future regulatory work are given.