Power line communications (PLC) reuse existing infrastructures (i.e. power lines) whose primary purpose is the delivery of AC (50 Hz or 60 Hz) or DC electric power, for the purpose of data communications. This introductory chapter provides the terminology that has been used to describe PLC. Communication over power lines is referred to by different names that are often specific to the considered grid domain and application. The most commonly used terminologies: carrier-current systems, power line carrier, distribution line carrier (DLC), broadband over power lines (BPL) and power line telecommunications (PLT). Modern PLC systems use the latest signal processing techniques including advanced concepts such as multicarrier modulation with adaptive notching and multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) transmission, which have already been adopted in international standards and industry specifications. The chapter presents an overview of how the other chapters of the book are organized.
