Broadband Over Powerlines

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://techdirt.com/articles/20061130/134052.shtml' target='_blank'>http://techdirt.com/articles/20061130/134052.shtml</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Over at Broadband Reports, they note that every year, we're told it's the "year of BPL" and every year, it seems to go nowhere at all. Yet, each time the press picks up on the story as if it's got a chance, without ever looking at why it's had so many problems. In the meantime, we've recently been hearing about plans for broadband over gas lines. Perhaps that can be the "great broadband hope/joke" for the next decade."</i><br /><br />Short version, the other utilities want to jump on the diversification bandwagon like the phone and cable companies. Unfortunately the only thing the electric and gas utilities have in common are a direct connection to the home. Their core competency is about moving energy to homes while the phone and cable companies have a core competency in moving information.

[craigf]

And it works fine. I get 2-3mbps down and 3-4mbps UP plus a fixed IP all for ~$43 a month with Current Communications (www.current.net). The only downsides so far are occasional latency issues, but those are sporadic. Overall, I'd say it compares favorably to cable Internet, especially for home webserver use.