[StBernard] Broadband Power Line

[Westley Annis]

Westley,

I'm very intrigued by everything I've read about the technology behind BPL.
It has been great for extremely rural areas, like out west, where it's never
been feasible for telephone/internet providers to run the latest high
tech/high speed service (like DSL).

You make an excellent point about if you're not happy with Entergy or CLECO
as your electrical provide, then why would you want them as your
telephone/internet provider?  Still, while I might have problems with the
big energy companies, I'm not nearly as disgusted with them as I am with
BellSouth.

I spoke with a tech research person with Entergy some months back about the
future of BPL.  He said they are definitely interested in it, but wasn't
sure how soon considering there is somewhat of an investment on their part
to place every few miles something he called a "relay box."  He admitted
that Entergy could easily afford it, but why do it if they could partner
with someone else who would be willing to spend the bucks for the relays and
handle the tech/customer support end of it.  So, I had to ask who were they
looking at partnering with.  He said it would be someone like BellSouth or
AOL or MSN.

As he put it, they have much more experience managing such operations.  What
they have plenty of is what's needed to carry the bandwidth - power lines.
But I told him it was the likes of BellSouth I was trying to get away from.
He said things would naturally be different since it was a different
technology being used.  Further in our conversation he said if BPL works as
successfully as they believe it will, in a few years in could make all
present telephone line related technology obsolete.  Only telephones might
still be using telephone lines.  Internet, internet phone systems would all
be sent through the outer bandwidth of an electrical power line.

According to what I've read and this gentleman confirmed, BPL is several
times faster than the fastest thing out there and it should only run about
half the price since we already have all the necessary infrastructure in
place - electrical power lines.

It's been a while since I've read anything on it.  If you happen to come
across any good articles on it, I'd appreciate it if you send it my way.

Thanks,
John Scurich

----- Original Message -----

> John,

>

> Broadband Power Line is just another conduit into the home and I'm all 

> for it.

>

> If you have the TELCO's, cable companies, and power companies all 

> fighting for your business, that has got to mean lower prices and 

> better service

for

> everyone.

>

> I've haven't read all that much about it lately, but I'm sure it is 

> going

to

> follow the same road as cable.  Available in limited markets, early

adopters

> will not be totally thrilled with, but eventually it will settle into

place.

>

> My sister tried to switch to Cox phone service back when they first

started

> offering it and couldn't get them to come out and install it.  That 

> made

me

> hold back on ordering it myself.  Once I did make the switch to Cox, 

> and I switched everything (TV, phone, Internet), I was extremely happy 

> with the service.

>

> BPL will find its place in the market, but Entergy and the likes have 

> to

be

> careful.  How they treat customers on their primary line of business 

> will determine if they are even considered for the secondary lines.

>

> Westley