Osram taps powerline communications to deliver IoT lighting at Berlin supermarket

Powerline communications (PLC), one of the lesser-known means for delivering Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled lighting, got a big boost when Osram revealed to LEDs Magazine that the technology is a key part of its Lightelligence IoT system, and that a Berlin supermarket has deployed it. PLC uses standard electrical wires to carry data. The Internet can thus connect via a building’s existing power cables to smart lights, carrying instructions for controlling light settings, and delivering information to support everything that a smart light might do, such as providing indoor navigation services, engaging shoppers with offers, tracking assets, and much more.