[wirelesstoronto-discuss] IBM backing rural BPL project in US

[Hanna]

of interest:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081112.wgtbroadband1112/BNStory/Technology/home

"IBM is partnering with a small newcomer called International Broadband
Electric Communications Inc. to try to make the idea work in rural
communities that don't have other broadband options.
...

The key innovation introduced in the past few years, Blair said, is the
ability to remotely control the devices fixed to power lines. That way it
can be told to switch frequency when it meets interference.

IBM has signed a $9.6-million (U.S.) deal with IBEC to provide and install
the equipment. IBEC Chief Executive Scott Lee said putting the network in
place should take about two years and cost as much as $70-million.

The company will have access to 340,000 homes in Alabama, Indiana, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin, about 86 per cent of which
have no cable or DSL access, Mr. Lee said.

Capturing a large segment of that market would be a huge step for IBEC,
which currently provides only about 1,400 customers with broadband, most of
them starting in the past year and half.

The basic service will start at $29.95 a month, with more expensive plans
offering higher speeds.

IBEC has had help along the way from the federal government: Lee said the
company has received $70-million in low-interest loans from the Department
of Agriculture. Federal officials have seen broadband over power lines as an
attractive option for spreading economic development in rural areas."
-- 
hanna

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
http://urban.blogs.com/seoul/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.wirelesstoronto.ca/pipermail/wirelesstoronto-discuss/attachments/20081113/07461461/attachment-0001.htm