Book excerpt: Power Line Communications (PLC) is a promising emerging technology, which has attracted much attention due to the wide availability of power distribution lines. This book provides a thorough introduction to the use of power lines for communication purposes, ranging from channel characterization, communications on the physical layer and electromagnetic interference, through to protocols, networks, standards and up to systems and implementations. With contributions from many of the most prominent international PLC experts from academia and industry, Power Line Communications brings together a wealth of information on PLC specific topics that provide the reader with a broad coverage of the major developments within the field. Acts as a single source reference guide to PLC collating information that is widely dispersed in current literature, such as in research papers and standards. Covers both the state of the art, and ongoing research topics. Considers future developments and deployments of PLC