A method and system for enhancing communication signals in a power-line communications
system, which uses high-voltage or medium-voltage power lines as a transmission
medium. Because communication signals are subject to attenuation as they traverse
the power-lines over a long distance, they are repeated and amplified by repeaters
along the power-lines. The repeated signals are caused to interfere among themselves
because of the delay and overlap of signals. By optically or wirelessly conveying
communication signals between two phase-lines, and repeating signals in a phase-line
hopping fashion, the distance between two adjacent repeaters on any one phase-line
can be significantly extended in order to reduce interference.