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.
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.