Utility CIO’s and CTO’s should mark their calendars for the upcoming, UPLC - United Power Line Council Broadband Power Line Winter Conference, to be held February 27 - March 2, 2007, at the Red Rock Casino, Resort, and Spa in Las Vegas.

The Keynote address really lays out the groundwork for the Program,

‘The purpose of the UPLC is to drive the development of BPL in North America and during the keynote address you will learn about the key drivers as BPL goes commercial this year. The keynote address will explain why BPL makes sense from a business perspective for broadband and smart-grid applications; how BPL promotes various public policies; and what technical capabilities BPL provides.’

A few of the topics to be discussed include:

• Regulatory Green Light for BPL
• Technical Capabilities of BPL
• BPL Deployment Case Study
• Practical Issues: Pole Attachments
• Practical Issues: Managing a BPL Implementation

Information and details are available at the United Power Line Council.

Even with the hurdles of conflict between potential BPL providers and Ham radio enthusiasts, a recent study indicates the number of subscribers to Broadband over power line service could jump from 400,000 in 2007 to 2.5 million in 2011. This is according to FTTx and BPL: Analysis and Outlook.

‘“Both consumer demand and business factors will drive this growth,” said Chris Roden, research analyst at Parks Associates. “On the consumer side, many rural residents don’t have access to DSL or cable, but every house in the U.S. has access to power lines. This technology is often the only option for these residents to receive broadband service. On the business side, utility companies will also drive BPL’s growth. BPL gives utilities more information to better manage power demand and troubleshoot line issues.”’

It seems inevitable that BPL will push it’s way mainstrem eventually. The recent classification of BPL service by the FCC points that way at least.