UPLC Conference at GLOBALCOMM Highlights Growing Global Trend of Broadband over Power Lines

Broadband Power Line 2006
September 17 – 20, 2006
Omni Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
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GLOBALCOMM 2006

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 2006--The United Power Line Council (UPLC) will host its first-ever co-located Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) conference on Wednesday, June 7 at GLOBALCOMM(TM) at McCormick Place in Chicago in conjunction with the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA). With power line-based broadband commercially deployed on a wide scale, the UPLC Conference offers a comprehensive program that introduces the technology to the industry; assesses the business opportunity for carriers; and offers insights for broadband's long-term future compared to other technology options.


More and more telecommunications traffic is migrating onto digital broadband platforms, and there is significant consumer demand for affordable broadband access. Because of this, there is a significant opportunity for BPL to become a dominant technology.

"We are excited to carry the message of BPL to carriers looking for last-mile access to business and residential customers in rural, suburban and metro markets," said Bill Moroney, president & CEO of the UPLC. "BPL is beginning to be rolled out commercially, and utilities and BPL companies are interested in wholesale opportunities with carriers, ISPs and video service providers."

"With the FCC phasing out local loop line sharing for competitive DSL services this year, BPL provides an attractive option to competitive carriers," said Matthew J. Flanigan, president of TIA. "At GLOBALCOMM(TM), we've assembled a comprehensive program and expert speakers with first hand experience to debate the potential opportunities and challenges associated with BPL."

Expert panelists will address the business, legal/regulatory, and technical issues for BPL and focus on how BPL can support business goals for companies serving rural or suburban markets, residential or business customers, in limited or wide-scale deployment, to provide voice, video or high-speed Internet access. Some BPL trends that will be discussed include:

-- Technology: BPL is maturing, with chipset speeds of 200 mbps, equipment ramping up to wide scale production and standards development underway

-- Regulatory: The FCC has established rules for BPL's technical operation and is considering classifying it as an information service that would be free from common carrier regulations

-- Business: Now offered on a commercial basis, BPL supports a variety of different applications (including voice) in a variety of different types of markets; and utilities are pursuing a wholesale strategy

GLOBALCOMM(TM), the next-generation communications marketplace and summit, will be held June 4-8, 2006, at Chicago's McCormick Place, with exhibits open from Monday, June 5 through Wednesday, June 7. For TIA, GLOBALCOMM(TM) replaces SUPERCOMM(R) as TIA's annual industry event.


The new 200 Mbps BROADBAND over POWER LINES Technology