NetworkWorld has an article that proves that where there is money to be taken from the Federal Government, Never Say Never Again. According to the article, IBM has started building out broadband over powerline networks that the company says could provide broadband connectivity to 200,000 people living in rural areas.
IBM is building out the BPL networks as part of a $9.6 million deal that it signed last year with Alabama-based broadband provider International Broadband Electric Communications (IBEC) to expand broadband access to people living in rural areas that only have access to dial-up services. The companies currently plan to deploy BPL networks through seven electric cooperatives in Virginia, Michigan, Alabama and Indiana. Once operational, IBEC will serve as the cooperatives’ official ISP.
Bob Hance, CEO of the Michigan-based Midwest Energy Cooperative, says his company decided to participate in the BPL network program after issuing a survey asking its customers whether they wanted to get broadband access through their electrical service. The survey results, Hance says, were overwhelmingly in favor of signing up for the broadband program. Within a week, the cooperative had a waiting list of 4,000 customers practically pleading for service. “We were amazed by the responses to the survey — thousands of letters from citizens of our community expressing their need for broadband in order to improve everything from childhood education to the future of their family-owned small businesses,” said Hance. “We shared nearly 600 of these letters with local legislators after we realized none of the major service providers were going to answer their calls for help. Thanks to the help of those legislators, IBM and IBEC were able to access the resources needed to help our community. In less than two weeks, we’ve already deployed 400 live miles with broadband access, or nearly 4,000 homes.” according to a a 02-19-09 press release from IBM and IBEC
IBM says in addition to bringing broadband connectivity to underserved areas, the new BPL connectivity will increase electric companies’ ability to monitor, manage and control the reliability of their electrical grids. Currently, electric cooperatives serve roughly 12% of the population in the United States and provide about 45% of the electrical grid. The give-away American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes $11 billion to be spent on ‘smart grid‘ systems to monitor and manage the nation’s electrical network.
Of course I may be overly cynical if I question the timing of the IBM announcement, just 24 hours after the $787 billion give-away American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed by President Obama. In case you hadn’t noticed the five pages entitled Division B— Title VI–Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (pages 398-402 of 407 pages) which authorizes the $7.2 billion to give-away stimulate the expansion of broadband networks into rural and underdeveloped areas in the country.
BPL so far has not caught on as a broadband technology in the United States. As of May 2008 there were only 4,776 people in the United States subscribed to broadband over power line.
[...] stimulus plan to digitize the U.S. health-care system. as well as resurrecting BPL as earlier noted here The give-away American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes $11 billion to be spent on [...]