The body responsible for setting standards for BPL Provider delivery has developed a list which will govern Broadband Over Powerline. The IEEE set forth the requirements for IEEE P1901 which covers aspects including VoIP, video and the raw data delivery. These standards have desperately been needed for deployment if BPL is ever going to compete with cable and dsl internet alternatives.

‘”Gaining agreement for BPL system requirements is a major achievement and clears the way for the working group to create a solid standard,” says Jean-Philippe Faure, chair of the IEEE P1901 Working Group.”’

Ten years after the first tests with BPL were done in the UK, the technology still hasn’t gained a foothold. It was recently pointed out here on Broadbandfocus.com, that broadband deployment is at 0.008% of the broadband lines in the United States. Standards in the industry will clear up confusion for those providers seeking the path for BPL deployment.

The “third wire” is coming. As some in the industry are calling BPL - Broadband Over Power Line the third wire, PC World scooped the following.

“We are at an inflection point in the industry,” agreed Ralph Vogel, spokesmen for Utility.net, a Los Angeles-based BPL integrator. “Its position is similar to that of DSL in the late 1990s: people have heard of it, and while we were previously not quite there yet with the technology, we are now.”

In fact, one technology consultant in Cincinnati had this to say about his BPL internet connection. ‘”It seems equivalent to standard cable service and a little faster than standard DSL,” he noted. “But the speed is not asynchronous, meaning you get the same speed upstream and downstream.” “I can’t get same bandwidth for any price close to it from another carrier,” he said.’

His Broadband over power line connection runs at a speed of roughly 3M bit/sec. Consider that speed is heading both upstream, and downstream, BPL offers a considerable advantage over cable internet connections that cap the upstream speed significantly.

Add the flexibility of having the internet connection available through any power outlet in his house, and you have a no-brainer for internet hungry consumers. Current estimates project the growth of the current 150,000 customer base, to exceed 2.5 million in just four years. This, according to Chris Rodin, analyst at Parks Associates in Dallas, Texas. Barhorst receives his internet connection from the utility Duke Energy. The internet service is handled by the company, Current Communications, located in Germantown, Maryland.