Bridging IoT Gaps: Nessum’s Next-gen Wired Communication Technology – EE Times

“Nessum” is Panasonic Holdings’ wired communication technology that enables speed upgrade, extension, and IP transition of networks using existing lines. Nessum, which has been rebranded from its predecessor “HD-PLC,” is expected to expand its scope of applications to networks that complement existing wired/wireless communication technologies and realize IoT transition at a low cost. Ken Sakamura, Emeritus Professor of the University of Tokyo and Head of the collaboration Hub for University and Business (cHUB), Faculty of Information Networking for Innovation And Design (INIAD), Toyo University (INIAD cHUB), who developed TRON as a domestic OS and also known as “the Father of IoT,” discussed the potential of Nessum with Hisao Koga, Project Manager of the Nessum Project at Panasonic Holdings.
Panasonic Holdings (“Panasonic HD”) commercially deployed “HD-PLC (High Definition Power Line Communication)” for nearly 20 years as high-speed power line communication technology. Against the backdrop of the growing integration of IoT into society and the rapid spread of AI, HD-PLC is expected to expand its scope of applications under the new brand name of “Nessum.”
HD-PLC, the predecessor of Nessum, was launched in the early 2000s as a type of PLC capable of data communication over existing power lines. Using Wavelet OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) for signal conversion, it came into commercial use in December 2006 as high-speed PLC for residential use. It also found its applications to IoT transition in buildings and factories while evolving its functionality, including communication speed and distance. In September 2023, the brand name was changed to Nessum. Panasonic HD aims to further spread the technology to building automation (BA) and other fields.
What is the potential of Nessum for IoT networks? Ken Sakamura, Emeritus Professor of the University of Tokyo and Head of the collaboration Hub for University and Business (cHUB), Faculty of Information Networking for Innovation And Design (INIAD), Toyo University (INIAD cHUB), who developed TRON (The Realtime Operating system Nucleus), a real-time OS computer architecture installed in electronic devices around the world, and has been involved in the front lines of IoT research and promotion for many years, had a talk with Hisao Koga, Project Manager of the Nessum Project, Business Development Office, Engineering Division of Panasonic HD.
Ken Sakamura: Of course, I knew that Panasonic HD had been working on various initiatives in PLC since the initial phase. It was rebranded as Nessum in 2023. Until then, the HD-PLC business had continued for many years.
Hisao Koga: Originally, we deployed HD-PLC for residential use. It should be noted that in the latter half of the 2000s, when we tried to accelerate its commercial use, smartphones emerged and spread quickly. Thus, Wi-Fi, which was integrated into smartphones, became the mainstream household network. This prevented HD-PLC from being widely adopted for residential use.
　In addition, the name “HD-PLC” inevitably implied “power lines,” making it difficult to broaden the scope of ideas for applications. To make a breakthrough, we renamed it Nessum. We also shifted the target market from B2C (Business to Consumer) to B2B (Business to Business) about 10 years ago. In fact, Nessum has been widely used for IoT transition in buildings and factories. In total, five million devices have been shipped to date.
Sakamura: It sounds like a nice turnaround. After all, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have become the mainstream in typical households. The combination of these two technologies can meet most applications, so you chose a well-suited strategy to shift to B2B. What areas do you target in particular?
Koga: We target four markets:  air conditioning, intercom systems for multi-unit housing complexes, BA, and smart meters.
　In air conditioning, outdoor units, which are installed in an outdoor or underground space, are connected with indoor units via communication lines. However, the communication speed is very low at 9.6 kbps, which is only good for turning switches on and off. In this field, there is a strong demand for IP transition and speed upgrade of communication to advance functionality.
　With the rapid spread of AI technology in recent years, there has also been a growing need to collect data more frequently. The implementation of the EU Cyber Resilience Act in Europe also drives demand for high-speed wired communication. This is because software updates are required to strengthen security, which requires high-speed data communication. Such circumstances are expected to propel greater use of Nessum.
Sakamura: I got the impression that Nessum has evolved significantly in terms of technology. Multi-hop is available, and the performance of the communication LSI has also improved.
Koga: A large-scale network can be built because up to 1,024 slave devices can be connected to one master device. As you mentioned, multi-hop communication with up to 10 hops is enabled, making it possible to configure with flexible topologies, including star and daisy chain topologies. An entire building can be covered with Nessum.
Sakamura: Factories want to use existing lines without routing new communication lines, so Nessum seems to be highly suitable for such field.
Sakamura: What about competing technologies? It is hard to imagine head-to-head competition between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Koga: We consider Nessum as a technology to complement other technologies instead of replacing them. Nessum is highly suitable for fields that are difficult to handle with wireless communication or in situations where wired communication is preferred but is difficult to replace with Ethernet due to high construction costs or where speed upgrade is desirable, but high-speed transmission as fast as Ethernet is not required.
From a technological viewpoint, Nessum is closest to Single Pair Ethernet as a control cable, but it is more user-friendly because large-scale networks can be built with flexible topologies.
Sakamura: To help prospective customers understand Nessum’s unique position, you need to find more applications and spread best practices.
Koga: Such an initiative is already underway. In terms of the Nessum ecosystem, Panasonic HD designs IP (Intellectual Property) cores for Nessum communication semiconductors and licenses them to LSI vendors. They develop modular products and finished products and provide them to various companies, except Panasonic.
Sakamura: The business model is certainly good, but it seems to lack speed in some aspects. Through communication with global LSI manufacturers, I know that the competition in the LSI market is becoming more intense. Notably, there are many areas that have not been fully standardized in the field of IoT. To expand the ecosystem, including LSI vendors, you also need information to persuade manufacturers. What is the shipping volume of Nessum devices?
Koga: We ship hundreds of thousands of devices annually. We aim to increase the volume 10- to 100-fold in the future. Currently, we rely on other companies to create a market. We are in the process of increasing product entries through collaboration with various companies. While opening up markets that we have identified mainly in Europe and the U.S., we will explore potential demand in Asia and India.
Sakamura: INIAD cHUB has been working with the Urban Renaissance Agency (UR) to improve the living environment of UR rental housing by using IoT and AI. It is a project to create a future housing complex. The latest information and communication systems can be introduced when reconstructing buildings, but it is difficult to conduct large-scale renovations in old housing complexes. I have just come up with an idea that high-speed wired communication technology, which can use existing lines, like Nessum, may be suitable for IoT transition.
　I have come across projects to lay all-optical networks in new buildings. There is also a growing need for high-speed, high-capacity communication to use virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). However, IoT goes beyond just that. There will be a need to simply turn switches on and off 10 years later. Nessum seems to be suitable for fields where IoT transition should be realized in harmony with other communication technologies and at a low cost. You mentioned air conditioning earlier, but lighting also seems good.
Koga: Exactly. In buildings, the power consumption of lighting is second to that of air conditioning, so we will gradually expand the target of Nessum to cover lighting. In addition to elevators, for which our technology has been used for over 10 years, we will strengthen our entry into BA-related equipment, including escalators, which operate in large numbers in buildings. Nessum realizes IP transition of existing lines, enabling full remote control and failure detection. We also plan to increase our share in the smart meter market in Central and South America, starting from Europe.
　The biggest advantage is the capability to use existing lines depending on the usage of customers. We expect Nessum to be used as a “communication technology that bridges the last gaps in IoT” to complement existing communication.
Sakamura: I bet you will be successful with the specific plan. The remaining question is how to form alliances. As I mentioned earlier, you must showcase actual applications to help prospective customers understand the technology and spread its use. It is because Nessum is not as easy to understand as consumer products.
Koga: We are just stepping up efforts to accelerate the spread of the technology.
Sakamura: Standardization is also an important factor in spreading the technology. The TRON OS was made completely open, including the source code and specifications, and was transferred to the IEEE. It was established as the IEEE 2050-2018 standard. This is one of the factors that spread the technology worldwide. Nessum has also been standardized by the IEEE.
Koga: It has been established as the IEEE 1901 standard. Standardization is particularly required in the communication domain, so the establishment of an international standard provides reassurance to customers.
Sakamura: It is indeed very important. However, standardization by the IEEE alone does not spread its use. You must take the initiative to spread the technology. Nessum is a B2B solution, but given that IoT networks ultimately represent technologies that connect various people, it is essential to have an open mindset. The Nessum Alliance has been organized.
Koga: The alliance was formed in 2007. At present, it has 37 member companies, including LSI, module, and equipment manufacturers. We are accelerating our efforts to spread Nessum by holding webinars and joint exhibitions.
Sakamura: There are engineers in various fields around the world, so you need to make some arrangements to spread the presence of Nessum. There are difficulties when it comes to business. Having said that, the technology is so unique that I have just come up with three or four possible applications if it can be introduced smoothly.
Sakamura: I have observed the progress of HD-PLC as an outsider, and I get the impression that the technology has been increasingly refined. Honestly, I thought that the technology was marginally incomplete. It has been polished in terms of reliability, communication speed, and security. In projects in which I am involved, I sometimes find Nessum an optimal solution in certain applications. You are in the breakthrough phase.
Koga: In the wired communication field, the number of options available to shift from low speed to high speed is limited. Thus, we currently focus on the speed upgrade of wired communication, but we will expand the business as “IoT networks to bridge the gaps” by leveraging the features of Nessum.
Sakamura: I hope you will do your best. I am eager to see positive results.
What is Nessum?
Technical overview of Nessum
Nessum-related products

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