From Hometownlife.com Grand Ledge Michigan is the first city first in the state to get broadband over powerlines. A New York company is opening an office in the city to be the first in Michigan to offer broadband access to the Internet over power lines. The high-speed system will be available to the city’s businesses and residents in early to late spring.
The service will be offered by David Shpigler, president of the Shpigler Group, a consulting firm that specializes in advising utility companies. The company is changing directions and is becoming more of a service supplier. The launch of the technology is one of many similar business ventures around the country. Grand Ledge was selected to be the first place to deploy broadband over powerlines technology because it is centrally located and because it is served by Consumers Energy. “This is a commercial venture. We are also considering expanding to St. Johns and then evaluating it before launching the service in the rest of the state,” Shpigler said.
“We are working with vendors to be able to have the latest and greatest technology and be able to offer the fastest speeds,” Shpigler said. BPL technology allows a broadband signal to travel on a power line and connect computers to the Internet. A customer connects to the service using a special modem inserted in an electrical outlet instead of to a telephone line or to a cable wire. The company will have a local office at 203 S. Bridge St. in downtown Grand Ledge.
The cost to residential customers is expected to be $29.99 monthly, Shpigler said. Higher speeds and additional services will also be made available to local businesses on a “built-to-suit” basis, Shpigler said. Shpigler said a name for the service has not yet been selected.
He is partnering with Consumers Energy and will play an active role in promoting Broadband Over Powerlines in Michigan. Several similar systems are in operation across the country. BPL technology is widely used in Europe.
Shpigler, who is a well-known speaker on telecommunications issues around the country. He first introduced the service last November to the Grand Ledge Area Chamber of Commerce. He said future applications of BPL may include telephones, home security, medical alert, and Web hosting.
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The first phase of the broadband over powerline deployment is expected to be operational by the end of 2007. Consumers Energy will grant utility.net additional service areas in blocks of 100,000 customers in the coming years. Within several years, utility.net expects to reach one million Michigan residents with broadband over the powerline.