Mac protocols with subbanding

A power line communication (PLC) modem comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store program instructions executable by the processor to cause the PLC modem to:
• transmit a beacon packet during each of a plurality of beacon slots of a superframe, each of the beacon packets transmitted over a different downlink subband;
• receive, from a first PLC device over a first set of one or more uplink subbands during a contention access period in the superframe following the plurality of beacon slots, a first set of one or more downlink subband selection packets, each of the first set of one or more downlink subband selection packets indicating a first set of one or more downlink subbands over which the first PLC device is capable of receiving beacon packets;
• and
• transmit, to the first PLC device, a first information packet over one or more of the first set of one or more of downlink subbands during a guaranteed time slot in the superframe following the contention access period, the first information packet configured to instruct the first PLC device to use a selected one or more of the first set of one or more uplink subbands in a subsequent communication with the PLC modem.

An electronic storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a processor within a power line communication (PLC) device, cause the PLC device to:

• identify a plurality of contention access periods following a plurality of beacon slots in a superframe structure, each of the plurality of contention access periods corresponding to a different one of a plurality of uplink subbands;
• receive, during a guaranteed time slot following the plurality of contention access periods, an indication of a selected one or more of the plurality of uplink subbands to be used in a subsequent communication;
• and
• enter a power saving mode during one or more of the plurality of contention access periods corresponding to other than the selected one or more of the plurality of uplink subbands.