Although I had essentially written off broadband-over-power-lines (BPL) technology, it will become reality in Dallas next year.
DirecTV said it would bundle broadband-over-powerline high-speed Internet and VoIP with its digital TV services to about 1.8 million homes in the Dallas-Forth Worth, Texas region by early 2008. Benefits of broadband-over-powerline include faster upload and download speeds compared to many cable and DSL broadband services: up to 10Mb versus 8Mb, according to Current. The broadband service is symmetric, which means upload speeds are as fast as download speeds. Moreover, broadband-over-powerline works via a go-anywhere, installation-free modem that's about the size of a regular power adapter and plugs into any electrical outlet. It is Ethernet and WiFi enabled, which means it can fill in wireless coverage gaps created by cable or DSL, said Current VP of corporate development and strategy Brendan Herron. [More]
Note the speeds mentioned above. Zoweee!! Also consider:
- No satellite dishes
- VoIP (Internet phone service)
- No TV dish
- No meter reader
- More reliable electric service.
[Updated: link is now activated]
2 comments:
I lived a a rural county in west Texas whose population was only 10,000. I lived 25 miles from the courthouse and 15 miles from the nearest loaf of bread or gallon of milk that was for sale. I got dsl in 2002. They have pushed fiber there, now.
The county I live in now has a population of 32,500. I'm only 15 miles from the courthouse and less than a mile from that loaf of bread. Do you think I have dsl? No! Why??
That county in Texas was served by a locally owned telephone coop that was satisfied with a little profit. This county is served by SouthWesternBell who is not satisfied unless they have a lot of profit.
BPL will be great if the technology ever makes it feasible in truly rural america. Presently I believe it takes an amplifier on the line every .5 miles. In Indiana we average 6 meters per mile. The cost is still prohibitive but give it time and technology will make it affordable some day. Until then I will use my 'Wild Blue' satellite speed internet that I buy from my local Rural Electric Coop. It is way better than dial up but no way near dsl or BPL.
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