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You can plug in a phone or a modem anywhere in your house where there’s a
mains socket, thanks to a device from Thomson of France. A master unit plugs
into an existing phone socket, linking it to a nearby power outlet. Its partner
can be plugged into any other mains outlet, and accepts the phone lead from a
modem, phone or fax. The adapters run at up to 28.8 kilobits per second on two
FM carrier waves. A choice of 65 000 security codes ensures that your neighbours
can’t eavesdrop. Thomson’s device will go on sale throughout Europe and
Australia as soon as it can be certified as meeting local electricity supply
regulations, and will cost around £80.