| Electric utilities control the only other third wire into American homes after cable and phone service. But can utilities effectively use their lines to deliver broadband service reliably and cost-effectively? In this report, we consider key aspects of BPL's evolution, current status and likely future development. We provide an overview of BPL technology and a comparative review of its vendors. We also examine BPL business models, trials and commercial deployments; utility attitudes and motivations with regard to BPL; and BPL regulation at the federal and state levels. Cinergy, Current Communications, TXU Electric, Consumer’s Energy, Lighthouse Broadband, ComTek and Lebanon Utilities are among those companies profiled.
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INTRODUCTION: IS BPL READY FOR PRIMETIME?
BPL TECHNOLOGY & VENDORS
BPL Vendors
BPL Business Models
A dual-use business model
Integrating the "silos" in an IP network
A mix of dual-use models
Competing with cable and DSL
Modeling the BPL business case
BPL DEPLOYMENTS
BPL Trials
BPL Commercial Deployments
Cinergy & Current: Cincinnati
TXU Electric & Current: Dallas-Fort Worth
Consumers Energy & Lighthouse Broadband: Grand Ledge, St. John, Mich.
City of Manassas & COMTek: Manassas, Va.
Lebanon Utilities: Lebanon, Ind.
Central Virginia Electric Cooperative: Rural Virginia
South Central Indiana Rural Electric Membership Cooperative (SCIREMC)
UNDERSTANDING UTILITY VIEWS ON BPL
Why some lead and others lag
Some pioneers have backed away from BPL
Some utilities focus on internal "smart grid" applications
Some focus on commercial broadband services
Is BPL cost-effective for utility applications?
BPL REGULATION
FCC Regulation
State Regulations
Texas
California
New York
Developments in Other States
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Power companies poised to enter race to deliver broadband services
US electric power companies are poised to join the multi-industry competition to provide broadband services to homes and businesses.
That’s the conclusion reached in a new study by Pike & Fischer, Silver Spring, MD, on the burgeoning Broadband Over Power Lines (BPL) industry.
Seven power companies are already delivering broadband services in the US, and many more could follow soon, according to the respected research and publishing company. The power companies comprise yet another industry in the race--already joined by satellite TV, cable TV and telephone carriers--to deliver Internet and other broadband services.
The researchers found that at least 26 power firms are already using BPL technology for internal utility applications, including monitoring, diagnostics and automation. Most of those companies have not yet focused on the transmission function of their networks.
The 45-page study, published by Pike & Fischer’s Broadband Advisory Services, lists all the companies currently involved in BPL. In each case, it details what third–party BPL service provider they are using (if any), the scope of their involvement, and who is supplying the company with BPL equipment. It also profiles the equipment providers.
Other sections discuss federal and state regulations governing BPL technology, with special attention on Texas, California and New York. The report features a detailed account of a recent conference sponsored by the United Power Line Council on BPL technology, including predictions offered by many of the conference presenters.
The US trails Europe and Asia in BPL use, principally because the foreign nations employ 240-volt electrical systems that serve many more homes per transformer than the 120-volt system used here.
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Mitchell Shapiro
Mitchell Shapiro, a Senior Consultant for BAS, has been analyzing media and telecom markets for more than 17 years. He has authored numerous in-depth reports for Pike & Fischer on competitive dynamics, vendor shares and market growth in the broadband industry, including studies on the high-speed Internet pricing, the market for municipal broadband services and strategies for deploying fiber-optic networks. He also regularly tracks the financial performance and broadband initiatives of the regional Bell operating companies.
Mitch previously served as senior vice president at Probe Research, where he was responsible for the company's tracking and forecasts of broadband network, service and CPE markets. He has also served as a senior consultant with Pangrac & Associates, a broadband engineering and strategic consulting firm, and as an analyst with Paul Kagan Associates, where he tracked technology trends and equipment markets in the cable and cellular industries. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan and an M.A. in Telecommunications from Michigan State University.
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