世論 What Japan Thinks

I’ve only really heard of PLC through work, as other departments produce a quite successful range of devices. PLC, or Power Line Communication, is communicating over domestic power lines. It’s a cheap and easy way to network and free from the security issues associated with wireless, although prone to noise from other electrical devices. To see what is going on in the average Japanese home, goo Research conducted a survey, reported on by japan.internet.com, into PLC.

Demographics

Between the 10th and 12th of April 2008 1,098 members of the goo Research online monitor group successfully completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 53.8% of the sample was male, 17.8% in their teens, 19.2% in their twenties, 15.8% in their thirties, 16.9% in their forties, 18.2% in their fifties, and 12.1% aged sixty or older.

PLC really is quite idiot-proof, I hear. Just plug both ends into an available socket, connect one end to your internet line, the other to your PC, and Bob’s your uncle. Transmission speeds are up to 100 Mbps, so I hear.

I personally don’t need PLC, as my home came wired with hot and cold running broadband in every room.

Research results

Q1: Do you know the term “PLC”? (Sample size=1,098)

Know it in detail	7.4%
Know it to some degree	12.7%
Just heard of it	17.3%
Never heard of it	62.7%

Q2: PLC is the technique of using electrical circuits for transmission of data. Do you know about this? (Sample size=1,098)

Yes (to SQ)	25.5%
Just heard of it (to SQ)	26.2%
Never heard of it	48.3%

Note that the difference between Q1 and Q2 is that the first is testing recall of the term PLC in isolation, the second is after having the abbreviation explained.

Q2SQ: Do you use PLC at home? (Sample size=1,098)

Yes, using it	2.3%
No, not using it	93.3%
Don’t know	4.2%
Don’t have a computer at home	0.2%