REMC annual meeting sees record attendance
Saturday September 30, 2006
...
Broadband Over Power Lines
Sump gave an update for the Broadband Over Power Lines (BPL), a program that is being piloted by the REMC.
“We are only one of two utilities in the nation to install broadband to a rural community,” Sump said. “It is a new technology and we want to be certain that all aspects of the service are working reliably prior to our deploying to the entire membership.”
Approximately 150 members have been piloting the BPL service over the past year.
“The pilot program allowed us to evaluate the technology and implement some improvements that have been encourgaing for the future of this project,” he said. “Your Board of Directors will evaluate all the information and make a decision by the end of this year on whether to offer BPL service to all our members. We know many of you are searching for reliable high-speed Internet service, but we want to be sure we offer a program that delivers the quality that meets your needs and expectations.”
South Central Indiana REMC is the largest distribution cooperative in the state of Indiana and serves seven counties including; Brown, Morgan, Monroe, Owen, and parts of Putnam, Clay and Johnson. They service over 33,000 members and 3300 miles of line. For more information on SCI visit www.sciremc.coop.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Friday, September 29, 2006
Arkados Demonstrates Whole-House Connectivity At Intel Developer Forum
Tuesday September 26, 5:30 am ET
Arkados System-On-Chip and Firmware Serve as the Universal Platform for Connected Home Applications
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 26, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Arkados, Inc., the HomePlug(r) Applications Company, today demonstrated whole-house connectivity incorporating HomePlug powerline communications standards at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in San Francisco. The whole-house security and audio demonstrations include the popular Internet radio application, streaming music direct-to-speaker with no computer required. Arkados' AI-1100 system-on-chip (SoC) serves as the versatile platform upon which hundreds of HomePlug-compliant audio, video, security and home efficiency applications can be designed. The demonstration can be viewed at the HomePlug Alliance Community in the IDF Technology Showcase.
On the heels of receiving HomePlug Alliance certification last month for the company's dual-board Internet radio design, the company today also announced the availability of a single-board design. The Internet radio Direct-to-Speaker reference design improves the user experience by providing robust HomePlug connectivity and ease of use in one package. One side of the device connects to a stereo receiver or powered speakers, while the other side sends and receives data through the HomePlug powerline network.
``The beauty of our SoC solution lies in its versatility and programmability, not only for audio and security applications as we're demonstrating here at IDF, but also for everything from IPTV to surveillance cameras to gaming,'' said Oleg Logvinov, Arkados president and CEO. ``From a single, universal platform, we're in effect enabling the entire powerline-driven connected home.''
IDF runs from September 26-28 at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco, Calif.; more information can be found at http://www.intel.com/idf/us/fall2006. Product briefs on both the AI-1100 system-on-chip and the Internet radio reference design are available at http://www.arkados.com/productbriefs.html.
Arkados System-On-Chip and Firmware Serve as the Universal Platform for Connected Home Applications
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 26, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Arkados, Inc., the HomePlug(r) Applications Company, today demonstrated whole-house connectivity incorporating HomePlug powerline communications standards at the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) in San Francisco. The whole-house security and audio demonstrations include the popular Internet radio application, streaming music direct-to-speaker with no computer required. Arkados' AI-1100 system-on-chip (SoC) serves as the versatile platform upon which hundreds of HomePlug-compliant audio, video, security and home efficiency applications can be designed. The demonstration can be viewed at the HomePlug Alliance Community in the IDF Technology Showcase.
On the heels of receiving HomePlug Alliance certification last month for the company's dual-board Internet radio design, the company today also announced the availability of a single-board design. The Internet radio Direct-to-Speaker reference design improves the user experience by providing robust HomePlug connectivity and ease of use in one package. One side of the device connects to a stereo receiver or powered speakers, while the other side sends and receives data through the HomePlug powerline network.
``The beauty of our SoC solution lies in its versatility and programmability, not only for audio and security applications as we're demonstrating here at IDF, but also for everything from IPTV to surveillance cameras to gaming,'' said Oleg Logvinov, Arkados president and CEO. ``From a single, universal platform, we're in effect enabling the entire powerline-driven connected home.''
IDF runs from September 26-28 at the Moscone West Convention Center in San Francisco, Calif.; more information can be found at http://www.intel.com/idf/us/fall2006. Product briefs on both the AI-1100 system-on-chip and the Internet radio reference design are available at http://www.arkados.com/productbriefs.html.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
News Alert: Ambient Corporation and Duke Energy Company signed Commercial Broadband over Power Line Deployment Agreement, as of September 25, 2006*
Form 8-K for AMBIENT CORP /NY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
28-Sep-2006
Other Events, Financial Statements and Exhibits
Item 8.01 Other Events.
Ambient Corporation (the "Company") and Duke Energy Company LLC ("Duke"), a diversified energy company with a portfolio of both regulated and unregulated electric businesses, which supplies, delivers and processes energy for its customers, have entered into a Commercial Deployment Agreement, dated as of September 25, 2006 (the "Commercial Deployment Agreement"), pursuant to which the Company's broadband over power lines ("BPL") solution will be deployed over Duke's electric power distribution grid. The initial commercial build-out and deployment of the Company's BPL solutions will pass approximately 6,000 residential units (the "Phase I Build Out").
Under the terms of the Commercial Deployment Agreement, each of the Company and Duke will exert commercially reasonable efforts including, without limitation, the dedication of appropriate staff, facilities and equipment as well as access to facilities and sites to carry out the Phase I Build Out. The Company will be providing the BPL equipment to be used in the Phase I Build Out. In addition, the Company will be providing engineering and technical support as needed to design, support and assist in the completion of the Phase I Build Out. In connection with the Phase I Build Out, the Company has entered into a license agreement with Duke for the Company's Network Management software. Upon completion of the Phase I Build Out, each of the parties shall determine in its sole discretion whether or not to proceed to additional or expanded BPL deployment. As contemplated by the Agreement, on September 26, 2006, the Company received a purchase order (the "Purchase Order") for BPL equipment to be used in the Phase I Build Out in the aggregate purchase amount of approximately $3.5 million. The amounts payable in such purchase order are subject to reduction in the event of non-timely delivery by the Company, termination of the agreement and/or cancellation of the Purchase Order by Duke as set forth below.
Subject to the terms of the succeeding sentence, the Commercial Deployment Agreement continues in full force and effect through the earlier of the (i) completion of the Phase I Build Out or (ii) the first anniversary of its execution. Duke is entitled, upon written notice to the Company, to terminate the Commercial Deployment Agreement and/or cancel the Purchase Order for its convenience, provided, however, that in the event of such termination Duke is to reimburse the Company for all amounts owing thereto on account of equipment purchased by the Company for the Phase I Build Out, services rendered by it in connection with the build out and any and all other amounts that may be owing to the Company at the time of termination.
Attached as an exhibit hereto is a press release issued by the Company in connection with the Phase I Build Out.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits:
Exhibits
EX-99.1 Press Release issued by Ambient Corporation on September 26, 2006
===
BPLTODAY.COM: DUKE PUSHES AHEAD with Ambient BPL Gear
Verizon fiber network- FiOS- Installation cost $9,650 per costumer ?... expects to invest $18 Billion in net capital from 2004 through 2010 to deploy
Compare Broadband over Power Lines`~$350/user Installation cost vs. FiOS $9,650 below !!!
"That, however, will require significant upgrades of utility substations and power lines. And nobody knows exactly how big an investment will be necessary. First, power companies have to mount boxes on certain utility poles to deliver data signals. Early estimates of installation costs range from $50 to $150 per home passed, plus $30 to $200 more for modems in each home, according to a study by EPRI and its consulting arm, Primen. Internet service provider EarthLink Inc. (ELNK ), which is testing BPL schemes with Con Edison, says that to make money from selling broadband access at $20 to $30 a month, a utility may have to get installation costs down to $20 per home passed and less than $100 per modem."
Easy Broadband -- And Smarter Power
NOVEMBER 22, 2004
=======================
Figuring FiOS
SEPTEMBER 27, 2006
Will it really cost Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ - message board) more than $9,000 to bring fiber to your home?
Yes, it could. And bear with me, please: I'm about to attempt some FiOS math.
The company today said it plans to pass 18 million premises with its fiber network by the end of 2010. It also says it expects to invest $18 billion in net capital from 2004 through 2010 in deploying that fiber-fed network. (See Verizon to Pump $18B Into FiOS by 2010.)
I’m on my second bourbon and coffee, but it seems like Verizon has just copped to spending about $1,000 a home, on average, to pass 18 million homes, over a six-year stretch. Earlier, Verizon said it cost around $900 to pass a home, so let's go halfway to the new figure and say it takes $950.
Verizon also says it will cost only about $650 to connect a "passed" home to its network by 2010.
So what does it cost to hook up a neighborhood? These aren't absolute figures, mind you, but let's assume that Verizon passes each home in a 400-home neighborhood, then nabs 10 percent of the homes (40 homes) as customers.
Take $950 and multiply it by 400 homes. That's $360,000.
Now let's hook up those 40 homes. That's 40 multiplied by $650. That's $26,000 added back to the cost to pass the homes, which was $360,000.
So now we have a figure of $386,000 spent in just one neighborhood. But what has Verizon spent per customer? Take $386,000 and divide it by the 40 homes and you get $9,650.
Millennium Marketing principal Kermit Ross worked out some very similar figures for me on a notebook after a session at Optical Expo 2006 last week. I recall his numbers/assumptions were also in the ballpark of $9,000 per subscriber.
Okay, now I'm on my third bourbon and coffee. But I think the larger point here is that even with all the cost savings Verizon has managed to achieve, this stuff is still really expensive.
"Obviously, in the early stages of a network, the cost to connect each home is astronomical and there's really nothing you can do about that," says Graham Finnie, an analyst at Heavy Reading.
So slice it anyway you like -- fiber to the home is damned expensive. And the payback takes years, maybe decades. But without a next-generation access network, carriers simply won't have a business.
— Phil Harvey, News Editor, Light Reading
"That, however, will require significant upgrades of utility substations and power lines. And nobody knows exactly how big an investment will be necessary. First, power companies have to mount boxes on certain utility poles to deliver data signals. Early estimates of installation costs range from $50 to $150 per home passed, plus $30 to $200 more for modems in each home, according to a study by EPRI and its consulting arm, Primen. Internet service provider EarthLink Inc. (ELNK ), which is testing BPL schemes with Con Edison, says that to make money from selling broadband access at $20 to $30 a month, a utility may have to get installation costs down to $20 per home passed and less than $100 per modem."
Easy Broadband -- And Smarter Power
NOVEMBER 22, 2004
=======================
Figuring FiOS
SEPTEMBER 27, 2006
Will it really cost Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ - message board) more than $9,000 to bring fiber to your home?
Yes, it could. And bear with me, please: I'm about to attempt some FiOS math.
The company today said it plans to pass 18 million premises with its fiber network by the end of 2010. It also says it expects to invest $18 billion in net capital from 2004 through 2010 in deploying that fiber-fed network. (See Verizon to Pump $18B Into FiOS by 2010.)
I’m on my second bourbon and coffee, but it seems like Verizon has just copped to spending about $1,000 a home, on average, to pass 18 million homes, over a six-year stretch. Earlier, Verizon said it cost around $900 to pass a home, so let's go halfway to the new figure and say it takes $950.
Verizon also says it will cost only about $650 to connect a "passed" home to its network by 2010.
So what does it cost to hook up a neighborhood? These aren't absolute figures, mind you, but let's assume that Verizon passes each home in a 400-home neighborhood, then nabs 10 percent of the homes (40 homes) as customers.
Take $950 and multiply it by 400 homes. That's $360,000.
Now let's hook up those 40 homes. That's 40 multiplied by $650. That's $26,000 added back to the cost to pass the homes, which was $360,000.
So now we have a figure of $386,000 spent in just one neighborhood. But what has Verizon spent per customer? Take $386,000 and divide it by the 40 homes and you get $9,650.
Millennium Marketing principal Kermit Ross worked out some very similar figures for me on a notebook after a session at Optical Expo 2006 last week. I recall his numbers/assumptions were also in the ballpark of $9,000 per subscriber.
Okay, now I'm on my third bourbon and coffee. But I think the larger point here is that even with all the cost savings Verizon has managed to achieve, this stuff is still really expensive.
"Obviously, in the early stages of a network, the cost to connect each home is astronomical and there's really nothing you can do about that," says Graham Finnie, an analyst at Heavy Reading.
So slice it anyway you like -- fiber to the home is damned expensive. And the payback takes years, maybe decades. But without a next-generation access network, carriers simply won't have a business.
— Phil Harvey, News Editor, Light Reading
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Ambient, Duke to Power Charlotte- BPL company extends its deal with Duke to provide broadband services to 6,000 customers
September 26, 2006
Ambient Corp., a broadband over power lines (BPL) systems provider said on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with Duke Energy to extend a pilot program to supply BPL services to 6,000 homes in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Duke, one of the largest investor-owned utilities in the United States, will become one of a handful of large power utilities to invest in BPL which offers them the ability to add intelligence to the electricity grid.
Using BPL the power companies can both reduce outages and read meters automatically. The utilities can monitor the grid for potential trouble situations. BPL can also allow them to offer their power customers’ access to the Internet.
Intelligent Grid
Ambient, which competes with companies such as Motorola, IBM, and Current Communications among others, will supply the communications that adds intelligence to the grid.
“We believe that Duke's cautious and rigorous approach to validating our BPL technology prior to this initial deployment further strengthens the credibility of the BPL industry,” said John Joyce, CEO of Ambient.
Ambient will use its FCC-certified X2 BPL access node along with BPL couplers and modems in the building of the network.
The Newton, Massachusetts based company will also will provide the engineering and technical services needed to design, support and assist in the deployment and management of the network.
Slow Emergence
The BPL market has emerged slowly as ever-conservative utilities have slowly warmed up to the technology.
There are only a handful of commercial BPL deployments in the U.S. The largest deployment is in Cincinnati, Ohio and is managed by Current.
A second deployment is located in Manassas, Virginia and is run by Communication Technologies of Chantilly, Virginia. (see U.S. City Lights up BPL)
Last December Current announced it was collaborating with TXU Electric, one of the largest electric utilities in the U.S., to enable broadband communications over the electrical network in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. (see BPL Lights Texas)
Telkonet Partners with Ameren Energy Communications to Deliver Broadband Internet Access to MDU Market
Tuesday September 26, 10:20 am ET
GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Telkonet, Inc. (AMEX:TKO - News), the leader in providing powerline carrier (PLC) networking solutions using existing electrical wiring, today announced that it has partnered with Ameren Energy Communications and River City Internet Group to deliver broadband Internet access to multi-dwelling unit facilities (MDUs) in the Ameren utility companies' Missouri and Illinois service territories. River City Internet Group (RCIG) will provide the Internet signal to the buildings, Internet backhaul service, business management software, account setup, network implementation, monitoring and maintenance, 24/7 technical support and customer care, hosting and e-mail services. Telkonet will deliver Internet access within the buildings, using its patented broadband over powerline (BPL) platform, which enables Internet and data access over a building's internal electrical wiring.
"In-building BPL enables owners of commercial and MDU facilities to finally make their buildings smart," said Trey Goede, executive vice president, River City Internet Group. "The platform offers more immediate functionality than alternative solutions, at a fraction of the cost. Building owners and tenants alike share in the benefit of virtually limitless IP applications by having broadband Internet access available from any electrical outlet in the building."
The in-building BPL platform, which can be installed within days, delivers broadband speeds of six megabits per second (Mbps), significantly faster than cable or phone lines. Users can access the Internet at any electrical outlet by simply plugging in a Telkonet iBridge unit into a PC and into an electrical outlet.
In addition to enabling high-speed Internet access, the in-building BPL platform provided by RCIG's Electrical Internet division can support many applications, such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), energy management, security and surveillance systems, communications through wired LCD panels in lobbies and elevators, building system controls for centralized heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, digital signage, and wireless hot spots.
Cindy Bambini, Engineer, Ameren Energy Delivery Products and Services stated; "Ameren continues to explore the best economical model for this technology which may bring added value to our customers."
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Ambient Corporation (OTCBB: ABTG) has Expanded Broadband over Power Line Deployment with DUKE ENERGY (NYSE: DUK)
Ambient Advances to Expanded Deployment This Phase to Pass 6000 Homes in Charlotte, NC
September 26, 2006 08:30 AM Eastern Time
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ambient Corporation (OTCBB: ABTG), a leader in Broadband over Power Lines (BPL) solutions, today announced that it has entered into an Expanded Deployment Agreement with Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), one of the largest investor-owned utilities in the United States.
"The importance of the commercial deployment coupled with FCC certification – both significant milestones - is unmistakable for the industry,” said John J. Joyce, President and CEO of Ambient. “We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to proceed with this first phase of commercial deployment with a leading utility. As we have stated over these past few years, we have positioned ourselves as a leader in this burgeoning BPL industry.”
The deployment will include building connectivity to approximately 6,000 homes in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is part of an ongoing BPL pilot program at Duke. Ambient will provide an end-to-end solution for high-speed transmission and reception of data and voice via electric power lines for both broadband carrier and core utility applications and services.
“We believe that Duke’s cautious and rigorous approach to validating our BPL technology prior to this initial deployment further strengthens the credibility of the BPL industry,” continued Mr. Joyce.
In addition to utilizing Ambient’s industry-leading, FCC-certified X2 BPL Access Node (with up to three 200Mbit BPL interfaces), Ambient-designed next-generation overhead and underground couplers and BPL modems in the deployment, Ambient will provide the engineering and technical support needed to design, support and assist in the deployment and management of the network. The deployment will also include X2 nodes with integrated 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi support to provide wireless access.
Ambient will license its Network Management Software (NMS) to Duke for monitoring and control of the network.
For further information on Ambient’s FCC–certified, next-generation BPL Access Node, the X², please refer to our press releases of May 3rd and September 7th of this year, available on the Ambient website (www.ambientcorp.com) or contact Anna Croop at (617) 614-6739.
===
Duke to widen Internet via power lines
Deal with small firm offers service to 6,000
CHRISTOPHER D. KIRKPATRICK
ckirkpatrick@charlotteobserver.com
Duke Energy Corp. and a tiny Boston technology company want to turn every power outlet in your home into a ready-made portal for broadband access to the Internet and beyond.
Ambient Corp., a 37-employee company near Boston, announced Duke as the first customer for its broadband power line technology. Up to 6,000 Duke Energy customers in southern Charlotte would be the recipients of the service.
Ambient, a $30 million company that trades as a penny stock, was the winner of a technology derby of sorts inside the power company.
After several years of trials, Ambient was chosen to expand Duke's pilot program that has used various technologies, said Ram Rao, chief technology officer for Ambient.
"Essentially, we utilize existing power lines ... to deliver communication signals," he said. "One of the advantages is every single (power) outlet in your house can be your Internet connection. So the whole house is ready-wired."
The technology employs a special box -- about the size of a pack of playing cards -- that plugs into power outlets. On the side facing out is a plug-in for a data line that delivers the broadband signal. Duke would contract with Internet service providers to complete the service.
"Basically, we were looking for the technology to expand it. We had been testing new technologies, and now we feel we have (it)," said Tom Shiel, Duke Energy spokesman. "We see this as an opportunity to do further explorations in this. We still have to do the testing to see if this works."
Ambient also provides boxes on poles throughout the power network that would help create a so-called smart grid. The communication network would allow it to monitor power levels and the health of transformers. The technology would act as a monitoring system that ideally would detect problems and send alarms to prevent power outages and power surges. Duke also would like to read meters remotely, using the Ambient technology.
"What this will allow us to do is monitor our distribution system from transformer to transformer. This has obvious benefits in power outages," Shiel said.
Read
Previous Article !!!
Monday, September 25, 2006
KUWAIT- ALDEERA's investment valued at US$10 Million- paving the way for the endorsement of BPL services on a global scale !!!
ALDEERA's investment valued at US$10 Million
Abdulwahab Ahmad Al-Nakib, Al-Deera Holding's Chairman and Managing Director, announced that Al-Deera (KSE: ALDEERA), leading a consortium of Kuwaiti-based companies, has upped its investment in 'BPL Global, Ltd.', an international leader in 'Smart Grid' technologies and 'broadband services over power lines' (BPL), to reach $20M, with ALDEERA's contribution alone reaching $10M after the new deal.
The current round of investment totaling $25,000,000 included in addition to ALDEERA, Kuwaiti-based companies: International Financial Advisors (KSE: IFA), Kuwait Holding Company, and International Finance Company (KSE: IFC) and US-based companies: 'DQE Communications', 'PA Early Stage Partners' and 'SZAR Partners'. The deal comes amidst some rapid technological changes and legal developments that are paving the way for the endorsement of BPL services on a global scale; ultimately, reflecting positively on the investment's rate of return. It is worth noting ALDEERA's participation in the second series of capital raise, after the initial 2005 seed round, has allowed it to benefit from BPL Global's improved market valuation; thus, making three times its initial investment.
Jassim Mohammad Al-Bahar, Chairman and Managing Director of IFA, speaking at the Annual General Assembly meeting on 05/06/2006 said that the IFA consortium through ALDEERA has reached an agreement with BPL Global that would lead to the implementation of this technology in Kuwait. He went on to add that this service will improve the efficiency of the electricity grid by monitoring the load conditions that the grid maybe exposed to at any given point in time.
Khaled Magdy El-Marsafy, Al-Deera's General Manager, said that smart grids improve the performance of electricity networks by smoothing out peak power demands; thus, allowing utility companies to save billions of dollars that would have otherwise been needed to prevail against recurrent interruptions in transmission'.
'We're pleased to begin our partnership with BPL Global,' said Al-Nakib. Adding, 'We have seen a great deal of momentum with this company, as it formed an increasing number of promising joint ventures, built a solid management team, and adopted pioneering steps in the development of Smart Grid technologies and Broadband Services.'
Al-Nakib indicated that the tremendous growth potential associated with the project have also been an important factor underlying the investment decision. 'While the telecommunications industry, for instance, is expected to grow by a compounded annual rate of 5.90% till 2010, the BPL communication sector is likely to expand at a faster pace given the considerable reduction in associated capital cost and the subsequent impact of the latter on demand levels.' 'The Middle East region is likely to keep pace with the global trend when it comes to telecommunications; but given the fact that BPL technology allows for reducing the end-users cost drastically; it might prove to be a much more attractive option in the long run.'
BPL Global provides end-to-end solutions designed to meet the specific needs of a utility by integrating equipment from leading suppliers with an enterprise software platform. This creates a communications network over a utility's power lines that interface with smart meters, switches, sensors and other grid devices to more efficiently manage transmission and distribution of electricity. This same communications infrastructure provides data, voice and video broadband services to residences, apartment buildings, and businesses.
'Our investors have recognized the significant efficiency and reliability benefits as well as consumer benefits of the work being done by BPL Global and its partners. Smart Grid applications will save a utility tens of millions of dollars in operating and maintenance costs and generate a new revenue stream from broadband services,' said Keith Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer, BPL Global. 'We're looking forward to taking these exciting applications to the next level and realizing the market potential of these integrated systems.'
BPL Global Announces $25 Million in Series C Round Funding
- Company Brings Smart Grid Applications to Utilities and Broadband over Power Line to Consumers -
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- BPL Global(TM), an international leader in "Smart Grid" technologies and broadband services over power lines (BPL), announced today $25M in equity investments. A consortium of Kuwaiti- based companies including current investor Al-Deera Holding (KSE: ALDEERA), and new investors International Financial Advisors (KSE: IFA), Kuwait Holding Company, and International Finance Company (KSE: IFC) led the Series C round. Strong support from current investors DQE Communications; PA Early Stage Partners, leader of the seed round in February 2005; SZAR Partners and BPL Global founders continues with participation in Series C.
"We're pleased to invest in BPL Global," said Abdulwahab Al-Nakib, Chairman and Managing Director of Al-Deera. "We have seen a great deal of momentum with this company, as it forms an increasing number of promising joint ventures, builds a solid management team, and makes pioneering steps in the development of Smart Grid technologies and Broadband Services."
BPL Global forms joint ventures with utilities and Internet service providers (ISPs), providing data, voice and eventually video broadband services over power lines to multi-occupancy buildings and consumers, while ensuring heightened reliability and efficiency of utility grids through Smart Grid initiatives. Smart Grid applications include load management; outage management; grid monitoring and device control; as well as energy theft prevention.
"We continue to invest in BPL Global because of its fundamentally sound business plan and the talented team assembled to execute this plan, creating value for our investment," said Joseph Belechak, COO, Duquesne Light Holdings. "As customer service and reliability expectations increase, and demand for energy grows, being able to develop and deploy Smart Grid technology to improve the operation of the electric delivery infrastructure will be increasingly more important. Bringing these advancements to the market may also create a competitive advantage for the utilities and their partners developing these new technologies."
BPL Global provides end-to-end solutions designed to meet the specific needs of a utility by integrating equipment from leading suppliers with an enterprise software platform. This creates a communications network over a utility's power lines that interfaces with smart meters, switches, sensors and other grid devices to more efficiently manage transmission and distribution of electricity. This same communications infrastructure provides data, voice and video broadband services to residences, apartment buildings, and businesses.
"Our investors have recognized the significant efficiency and reliability benefits as well as consumer benefits of the work being done by BPL Global and its partners. Smart Grid applications will save a utility tens of millions of dollars in operating and maintenance costs and generate a new revenue stream from broadband services," said Keith Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer, BPL Global. "We're looking forward to taking these exciting applications to the next level and realizing the market potential of these integrated systems."
About BPL Global
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- BPL Global(TM), an international leader in "Smart Grid" technologies and broadband services over power lines (BPL), announced today $25M in equity investments. A consortium of Kuwaiti- based companies including current investor Al-Deera Holding (KSE: ALDEERA), and new investors International Financial Advisors (KSE: IFA), Kuwait Holding Company, and International Finance Company (KSE: IFC) led the Series C round. Strong support from current investors DQE Communications; PA Early Stage Partners, leader of the seed round in February 2005; SZAR Partners and BPL Global founders continues with participation in Series C.
"We're pleased to invest in BPL Global," said Abdulwahab Al-Nakib, Chairman and Managing Director of Al-Deera. "We have seen a great deal of momentum with this company, as it forms an increasing number of promising joint ventures, builds a solid management team, and makes pioneering steps in the development of Smart Grid technologies and Broadband Services."
BPL Global forms joint ventures with utilities and Internet service providers (ISPs), providing data, voice and eventually video broadband services over power lines to multi-occupancy buildings and consumers, while ensuring heightened reliability and efficiency of utility grids through Smart Grid initiatives. Smart Grid applications include load management; outage management; grid monitoring and device control; as well as energy theft prevention.
"We continue to invest in BPL Global because of its fundamentally sound business plan and the talented team assembled to execute this plan, creating value for our investment," said Joseph Belechak, COO, Duquesne Light Holdings. "As customer service and reliability expectations increase, and demand for energy grows, being able to develop and deploy Smart Grid technology to improve the operation of the electric delivery infrastructure will be increasingly more important. Bringing these advancements to the market may also create a competitive advantage for the utilities and their partners developing these new technologies."
BPL Global provides end-to-end solutions designed to meet the specific needs of a utility by integrating equipment from leading suppliers with an enterprise software platform. This creates a communications network over a utility's power lines that interfaces with smart meters, switches, sensors and other grid devices to more efficiently manage transmission and distribution of electricity. This same communications infrastructure provides data, voice and video broadband services to residences, apartment buildings, and businesses.
"Our investors have recognized the significant efficiency and reliability benefits as well as consumer benefits of the work being done by BPL Global and its partners. Smart Grid applications will save a utility tens of millions of dollars in operating and maintenance costs and generate a new revenue stream from broadband services," said Keith Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer, BPL Global. "We're looking forward to taking these exciting applications to the next level and realizing the market potential of these integrated systems."
About BPL Global
Saturday, September 23, 2006
China`s Next Generation Internet (CNGI), a faster, more secure, more mobile version called Internet protocol version 6 (IPv6).
China Builds a Better Internet
Americans have been hogging Internet addresses for decades, leaving late-comers like China to divvy up the few remaining slivers. But China is fighting back by vaulting to an addressing standard that could rewrite the rules of the Internet—and business innovation—for decades to come.
BY BEN WORTHEN
Read the full article: China Builds a Better Internet
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Previous article:
CHINA: Deployments of Hi-speed Broadband using FIBEROPTIC and STATE ELECTRIC POWER LINES GRID
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Mexico's Power Co Gets Regulator OK For Broadband Service
Friday September 22nd, 2006 / 23h41
MEXICO CITY -(Dow Jones)- Mexico's Federal Telecommunications Commission, or Cofetel, said Friday it favors allowing the state-owned electric utility to lease capacity on its fiber optic network for broadband communications services.
In a press release, Cofetel said it has sent a favorable opinion to the Communications and Transport Ministry, which grants such concessions.
The power utility, Comision Federal de Electricidad, or CFE, has nearly 14,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable that runs along parts of its power transmission network.
Cofetel said the concession being requested would allow the CFE to act as a carrier-of-carriers, but not to offer broadband service directly to users.
The decision by Cofetel comes as the government is preparing to implement rules for "triple play," which would allow cable companies to offer telephone service and telephone companies to distribute television signals.
Triple play is the offering of phone, cable and Internet over the same network.
Cofetel considered that the entry of CFE into the broadband communications market would increase competition and lower prices. The country's biggest provider of fixed line services is Telefonos de Mexico (TMX), or Telmex. Cable companies have been offering broadband service for several years, and some have also been offering phone service via phone companies, acting as a carrier-of-carriers.
The CFE has also conducted tests with power line communications technology, where voice, data and video are transmitted on the electricity lines.
Cofetel stressed that the current approval is for the fiber optic network, and not for power line communications.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Study result: Teens turn to TV, Internet for news !!!
Teens turn to TV, Internet for news
By Tracey Wong Briggs, USA TODAY
Fri Sep 22, 6:39 AM ET
Half of all high school students get news online at least once a week, but teens rate TV the easiest-to-use news source - and the most accurate, says a study out Friday.
In the Future of the First Amendment study, which surveyed 14,498 students and 882 teachers at 34 high schools last spring, 45% of teens say TV is the best overall source of news, 44% think it's the most accurate and 43% think it's the easiest to use. Only 28% of teachers thought TV was the best news source, a distant second to newspapers' 48%.
Findings show 90% of students were at least somewhat interested in current events; 51% get news online once a week or more.
Of those who get news online, ease of use may be a factor. While 66% get news from sites such as Google, Microsoft, AOL or Yahoo at least weekly, only 21% get it weekly from national newspaper sites.
"The Internet is part of the basket kids reach for to get their news," says study co-author David Yalof. The percentage of students who routinely get news from media websites, online publications and blogs may be small, but the survey shows students go to "a patchwork quilt of sources," he says.
But findings hold hope for newspapers, or at least their websites.
Thirty years ago, teens didn't read newspapers at all, picking up the habit only in their 20s or 30s, says Jeffrey Cole of the Center for the Digital Future at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Today's teens care more about news than teens in the past, because kids have figured out that what happens halfway around the world can affect their lives, he says. "The fact that teens rate television highly simply reflects that newspapers and newsmagazines aren't part of their life offline."
They may never pick up newspapers in adulthood, but when they get older they will gravitate more toward online sites of respected news sources, he says.
"Teens live in a world of user-generated content," such as MySpace and Facebook, Cole says. "As people get into their 20s and 30s, they rely less on peers as a source and want authoritative information."
The study was sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which funds journalism and free-speech initiatives. The margin of error was 1 percentage point for students and 3.6 points for faculty.
By Tracey Wong Briggs, USA TODAY
Fri Sep 22, 6:39 AM ET
Half of all high school students get news online at least once a week, but teens rate TV the easiest-to-use news source - and the most accurate, says a study out Friday.
In the Future of the First Amendment study, which surveyed 14,498 students and 882 teachers at 34 high schools last spring, 45% of teens say TV is the best overall source of news, 44% think it's the most accurate and 43% think it's the easiest to use. Only 28% of teachers thought TV was the best news source, a distant second to newspapers' 48%.
Findings show 90% of students were at least somewhat interested in current events; 51% get news online once a week or more.
Of those who get news online, ease of use may be a factor. While 66% get news from sites such as Google, Microsoft, AOL or Yahoo at least weekly, only 21% get it weekly from national newspaper sites.
"The Internet is part of the basket kids reach for to get their news," says study co-author David Yalof. The percentage of students who routinely get news from media websites, online publications and blogs may be small, but the survey shows students go to "a patchwork quilt of sources," he says.
But findings hold hope for newspapers, or at least their websites.
Thirty years ago, teens didn't read newspapers at all, picking up the habit only in their 20s or 30s, says Jeffrey Cole of the Center for the Digital Future at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Today's teens care more about news than teens in the past, because kids have figured out that what happens halfway around the world can affect their lives, he says. "The fact that teens rate television highly simply reflects that newspapers and newsmagazines aren't part of their life offline."
They may never pick up newspapers in adulthood, but when they get older they will gravitate more toward online sites of respected news sources, he says.
"Teens live in a world of user-generated content," such as MySpace and Facebook, Cole says. "As people get into their 20s and 30s, they rely less on peers as a source and want authoritative information."
The study was sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which funds journalism and free-speech initiatives. The margin of error was 1 percentage point for students and 3.6 points for faculty.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
BPL provider-Trimax Corporation Comments on recent Stock Price decline !!!
Trimax Corporation Comments on Stock Price
Thursday September 21, 8:00 am ET
TORONTO--(MARKET WIRE)--Sep 21, 2006 -- Trimax Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Multi-Source Inc. (MSI), and PLC Networks Inc. (PLC) (OTC BB:TMXO.OB - News), leading providers of Broadband over PowerLine (BPL) communication technologies, announced today that it knows of no fundamental reason for the recent decline in the share price of its common stock. There have been no recent undisclosed materials or adverse developments at the company.
"We recognize the recent decline in share price is due to selling pressure and market activity unrelated to the prospects of the company," noted President and CEO Derek Pepler. "We believe that our shares are undervalued and that our current level of business and outlook for this year and next support a higher valuation. The fundamentals of our business continue to be strong and we remain confident in our business and corporate strategy. We are ahead of plan and have already made significant headway with regard to the milestones scheduled to execute our first year of business."
Further to the June 15, and Sept. 5 press releases regarding its activities in South America, Trimax/ Multi-Source confirms that the utilities it has been working with have been authorized to sign the initial phase contract and finalize another for automatic meter reading (AMR), Internet, VoIP and other IP services. The Multi-Source team is travelling to South America next week for this purpose. Government press estimates the contracts value in excess of $100 million US. This cost will be dwarfed by the amount of savings the government will realize from installing AMR technology to stop power theft as well as the socio-economic impact of giving citizens access to information and communication technology.
Trimax/MSI/PLC Networks Inc. is building a solid foundation for growth and a leadership position in the enormous market for Broadband over PowerLine technology. Earlier this month, the company reported that security at its web hosting service had been breached by spammers. The company acknowledges plans to expand investor relations in an effort handle increased call volume and to build a broader audience within the investment community.
Trimax Corporation
Thursday September 21, 8:00 am ET
TORONTO--(MARKET WIRE)--Sep 21, 2006 -- Trimax Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Multi-Source Inc. (MSI), and PLC Networks Inc. (PLC) (OTC BB:TMXO.OB - News), leading providers of Broadband over PowerLine (BPL) communication technologies, announced today that it knows of no fundamental reason for the recent decline in the share price of its common stock. There have been no recent undisclosed materials or adverse developments at the company.
"We recognize the recent decline in share price is due to selling pressure and market activity unrelated to the prospects of the company," noted President and CEO Derek Pepler. "We believe that our shares are undervalued and that our current level of business and outlook for this year and next support a higher valuation. The fundamentals of our business continue to be strong and we remain confident in our business and corporate strategy. We are ahead of plan and have already made significant headway with regard to the milestones scheduled to execute our first year of business."
Further to the June 15, and Sept. 5 press releases regarding its activities in South America, Trimax/ Multi-Source confirms that the utilities it has been working with have been authorized to sign the initial phase contract and finalize another for automatic meter reading (AMR), Internet, VoIP and other IP services. The Multi-Source team is travelling to South America next week for this purpose. Government press estimates the contracts value in excess of $100 million US. This cost will be dwarfed by the amount of savings the government will realize from installing AMR technology to stop power theft as well as the socio-economic impact of giving citizens access to information and communication technology.
Trimax/MSI/PLC Networks Inc. is building a solid foundation for growth and a leadership position in the enormous market for Broadband over PowerLine technology. Earlier this month, the company reported that security at its web hosting service had been breached by spammers. The company acknowledges plans to expand investor relations in an effort handle increased call volume and to build a broader audience within the investment community.
Trimax Corporation
Illinois: Princeton BROADBAND over POWER LINES Internet project to continue
Princeton Internet project to continue
ICC denies grant funds, but BPL installation will go on, company says
Thursday, September 21, 2006
BY ERINN DESHINSKY
OF THE JOURNAL STAR
PRINCETON - The Illinois Commerce Commission denied a grant request from a company installing a new Internet connection in Princeton, but the project will continue.
Connecting Point, the Internet provider installing broadband over power lines (BPL) within the city, plans to continue working on the testing phase of the approximately $1.8 million project, despite lacking a nearly $400,000 grant from the state.
The Internet providers were seeking about $393,000 in grant funding from the ICC, which was offering a grant for entities offering high-speed broadband access to areas that currently lack the technology.
The commission denied Connecting Point's request because Princeton has access to Internet service from other providers and much of the project has already been constructed. Many of the projects that received some of the $4.6 million in state funding are still in planning stages.
Princeton is one of the first cities in the nation testing BPL service, which offers a high-speed connection through the subscribers' power outlet.
The city began the project last year, installing several miles of fiber optic cable throughout the city. The cable is then routed by power lines to individual houses or businesses. The user simply plugs the modem into an outlet and is connected to the Internet.
Connecting Point is finishing its second-generation study in the southwest quadrant of the city. The second-generation equipment offers subscribers a 3-gigabyte-per-second connection.
Right now, only about 50 residents have the service. Connecting Point vice president Steve Brust said nearly everyone who was in the test phase has opted to stick with the service. Twenty businesses are directly connected to a fiber optic cable, which offers an even higher and more dependable connection.
Brust said the grant money would have helped defray some of the costs from the project, which has seen its ups and downs, being a relatively new process.
"We've been started and stopped, looking for the right equipment," Brust said. "... It's a lot of trial and error."
Just because the company did not receive the grant does not mean the project is finished. Brust said the company is working on the test phase and hopes to have the technology installed for operation throughout the entire city within six months.
ICC denies grant funds, but BPL installation will go on, company says
Thursday, September 21, 2006
BY ERINN DESHINSKY
OF THE JOURNAL STAR
PRINCETON - The Illinois Commerce Commission denied a grant request from a company installing a new Internet connection in Princeton, but the project will continue.
Connecting Point, the Internet provider installing broadband over power lines (BPL) within the city, plans to continue working on the testing phase of the approximately $1.8 million project, despite lacking a nearly $400,000 grant from the state.
The Internet providers were seeking about $393,000 in grant funding from the ICC, which was offering a grant for entities offering high-speed broadband access to areas that currently lack the technology.
The commission denied Connecting Point's request because Princeton has access to Internet service from other providers and much of the project has already been constructed. Many of the projects that received some of the $4.6 million in state funding are still in planning stages.
Princeton is one of the first cities in the nation testing BPL service, which offers a high-speed connection through the subscribers' power outlet.
The city began the project last year, installing several miles of fiber optic cable throughout the city. The cable is then routed by power lines to individual houses or businesses. The user simply plugs the modem into an outlet and is connected to the Internet.
Connecting Point is finishing its second-generation study in the southwest quadrant of the city. The second-generation equipment offers subscribers a 3-gigabyte-per-second connection.
Right now, only about 50 residents have the service. Connecting Point vice president Steve Brust said nearly everyone who was in the test phase has opted to stick with the service. Twenty businesses are directly connected to a fiber optic cable, which offers an even higher and more dependable connection.
Brust said the grant money would have helped defray some of the costs from the project, which has seen its ups and downs, being a relatively new process.
"We've been started and stopped, looking for the right equipment," Brust said. "... It's a lot of trial and error."
Just because the company did not receive the grant does not mean the project is finished. Brust said the company is working on the test phase and hopes to have the technology installed for operation throughout the entire city within six months.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Broadband Over Powerline in the Healthcare Industry !!!
Nemours, JEA win innovation award
The Business Journal of Jacksonville - 9:07 AM EDT Wednesday
Gov. Jeb Bush has recognized Nemours Children's Clinic for its collaborative study with JEA for the team's effort to use broadband communication as a way to deliver healthcare advice for low-income, inner city asthmatic children.
The Governor's Innovation Award was given by Bush to Nemours and JEA for the project's contribution toward the growth of Florida's economy. Nemours and JEA established a network between medical staff at Nemours and patients at their homes or schools in order to offer available health care to those who might not have immediate access to the clinic.
Patients can connect to medical staff at Nemours via a live video feed transmitted through a broadband signal sent over JEA's power lines. Nemour's staff can monitor patient's blood pressure, pulse rate, body temperature and breathing ability over the lines. The network has already been implemented in four homes in Jacksonville, but sites for remote monitoring will include schools and daycare centers, as well as additional patient homes.
The program is currently funded by a federal grant by a Department of Commerce Federal Technologies Opportunities Program.
The Business Journal of Jacksonville - 9:07 AM EDT Wednesday
Gov. Jeb Bush has recognized Nemours Children's Clinic for its collaborative study with JEA for the team's effort to use broadband communication as a way to deliver healthcare advice for low-income, inner city asthmatic children.
The Governor's Innovation Award was given by Bush to Nemours and JEA for the project's contribution toward the growth of Florida's economy. Nemours and JEA established a network between medical staff at Nemours and patients at their homes or schools in order to offer available health care to those who might not have immediate access to the clinic.
Patients can connect to medical staff at Nemours via a live video feed transmitted through a broadband signal sent over JEA's power lines. Nemour's staff can monitor patient's blood pressure, pulse rate, body temperature and breathing ability over the lines. The network has already been implemented in four homes in Jacksonville, but sites for remote monitoring will include schools and daycare centers, as well as additional patient homes.
The program is currently funded by a federal grant by a Department of Commerce Federal Technologies Opportunities Program.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
UPA Joins UPLC Broadband Power Line 2006 Conference to Present Global Vision on Open Standards
UPA Joins UPLC Broadband Power Line 2006 Conference to Present Global Vision on Open Standards; UPA Access Specification Only Open Global Specification for High-speed 200 Mbps Broadband over Power Line (BPL) Applications UPLC Broadband Power Line Conference
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 2006--"Utilities and operators seeking to launch a BPL network may immediately deploy high-speed products developed to the UPA Access specification for BPL products," said Chano Gomez, representing the Universal Powerline Association Presidency at the "Deep Dive" session on technical standards during the UPLC Broadband Power Line conference taking place today in Charlotte, NC.
Mr. Gomez continued, "The UPA Access specification ratified in 2005 is a global specification for both BPL access technology and in-building applications where powerline technology is deployed to extend existing backbone technologies such as fiber to the home (FTTH), DSL and coax."
The UPA specification accelerates mass rollout of high-speed, low-cost, broadband access, voice and audiovisual services, as well as utility applications for control and management operations. The specification provides for interoperability with non-UPA technologies by means of a co-existence mechanism.
"This unique feature guarantees that future versions of UPA technology will be compatible with today's specifications. High-speed powerline products on the market today that are built to the UPA specification provide the foundation for a profitable BPL business," further commented Mr. Gomez.
Products built to the UPA specification comply with global regulatory requirements for BPL including the FCC regulations. One of the key objectives of the UPA is to catalyze the growth of BPL technology. The UPA actively supports the standards setting work underway in international bodies including IEEE, ETSI, CENELEC and CISPR to deliver the recognized open standards. Driving the adoption of interoperable high-speed powerline products are the UPA technical specifications, available on the UPA's website (www.upaplc.org)
UPA members presenting at the UPLC conference including Ambient, BPL Global, Current Technologies, Corinex Communications, DS2, and Duke Energy represent the major players in the BPL market in the US and worldwide, and include equipment suppliers, utilities and chip makers.
About the Universal Powerline Association
The Universal Powerline Association (UPA) is an International not-for-profit trade association working to harmonize global standards and regulations in the fast developing powerline communications market. The UPA aims to catalyze the growth of PLC/BPL technology by delivering UPA certified products that comply with specified standards and regulations. This can range from simple coexistence to full interoperability. UPA provides all PLC/BPL players the opportunity to respond to key customer expectations with open standards, based on interoperability, security and coexistence and supported by exclusive and independent certification, the only global guarantee of quality and confidence for high-speed power line technology available today. Members of the UPA include AcBel, Ambient Corporation, BPL Global, Commax, Corinex Communications, Current Technologies International, DS2, Duke Energy, Itochu Corporation, Ilevo (Schneider Electric Powerline Communications), Naeil Community, Netgear, PCN Technology, ST&T, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Tecnocom, Toshiba and TOYO Network Systems.
Additional information about the UPA is available at www.upaplc.org
BPLTODAY.COM updates on BROADBAND over Power Lines this week !!!
Your one-stop-shop for exclusive BPL insight, news and analysis
BPL Today is your expert resource with breaking news, timely and probing interviews and in-depth industry analysis chronicling the emerging broadband over power lines industry.
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EarthLink's BPL strategy includes testing MDU model
September 19, 2006
**Exclusive report**
Name-brand ISP offers menu of options for utilities
BPL's not just what some call the "third pipe" into homes and businesses.
It's the only potential broadband pipe that's already connected to just about every possible customer, Robert Zack reminded us recently.
He's EarthLink's director of next generation broadband.
"You can't say that about either DSL or cable."
He sees a big trend at in the broadband market.
It's those who serve groups of consumers -- such as municipal and cooperative utilities, city administrations and landlords.
They're looking for services the incumbents don't offer, said Zack.
EarthLink sees BPL as a way to deliver on those demands.
That opportunity plus advances in BPL technology have EarthLink working hard to promote the BPL business case.
And that's good for the BPL world because EarthLink is a household name that brings 10+ years of experience in the ISP business plus many awards for its products and customer service (more on those below).
The ISP has been searching for new opportunities as the world works hard to make its original, central product, dial-up internet, obsolete.
EarthLink's interest in BPL isn't new. It was the ISP for Progress Energy's BPL trial, invested in BPL firms Current and Ambient and has been outspoken about BPL's potential.
What's news is that EarthLink sees a growing opportunity to deliver bandwidth and services that incumbents can't or won't provide.
And that's driving demand for BPL.
Seeking deals now
EarthLink is active in the HomePlug Powerline Alliance and in the IEEE standards efforts, said Zack.
The firm's investments in Intellon-user Current and DS2-user Ambient indicates the firm's not picking sides in the BPL chip wars.
"We are interested in promoting the success of all parties in that space in general because it would be to EarthLink's benefit for that third pipe to the home to exist," he added.
BPL technology is beyond experimental and the vendors are all on or about to be on the second generation of their products, he added.
Concern at utilities over whether the gear works "is really not on the table any more."
The question now is about building the business case for a given utility, he added.
Many utilities simply won't enter the broadband business, we noted.
"What we continue to hear repeatedly from all of the utilities we that speak with," said Zack, "is that they are anxious and interested in having a brand name such as EarthLink who has a track record of success" in the ISP business.
The utilities have a good reputation with their customers on reliability and quality of service, he added.
"They clearly want to make sure that anything that's associated with their name has the same sort of level of service and quality that they are known for."
That point is at the heart of every conversation with a utility EarthLink has, Zack reported.
"We've tried to communicate with and be of some help to virtually everybody that we can in this space."
That includes utilities and the BPL vendors and systems integrators.
EarthLink's message is simple.
"We're a quality provider of service" that knows how the ISP business model works "and we do it to a 'T.'"
Risks in entering -- or trying to "reinvent" the ISP business "can be avoided by partnering with EarthLink."
MORE.... EARTHLINK and Ambient BPL MDU
BPL Today is your expert resource with breaking news, timely and probing interviews and in-depth industry analysis chronicling the emerging broadband over power lines industry.
=====
EarthLink's BPL strategy includes testing MDU modelSeptember 19, 2006
**Exclusive report**
Name-brand ISP offers menu of options for utilities
BPL's not just what some call the "third pipe" into homes and businesses.
It's the only potential broadband pipe that's already connected to just about every possible customer, Robert Zack reminded us recently.
He's EarthLink's director of next generation broadband.
"You can't say that about either DSL or cable."
He sees a big trend at in the broadband market.
It's those who serve groups of consumers -- such as municipal and cooperative utilities, city administrations and landlords.
They're looking for services the incumbents don't offer, said Zack.
EarthLink sees BPL as a way to deliver on those demands.
That opportunity plus advances in BPL technology have EarthLink working hard to promote the BPL business case.
And that's good for the BPL world because EarthLink is a household name that brings 10+ years of experience in the ISP business plus many awards for its products and customer service (more on those below).
The ISP has been searching for new opportunities as the world works hard to make its original, central product, dial-up internet, obsolete.
EarthLink's interest in BPL isn't new. It was the ISP for Progress Energy's BPL trial, invested in BPL firms Current and Ambient and has been outspoken about BPL's potential.
What's news is that EarthLink sees a growing opportunity to deliver bandwidth and services that incumbents can't or won't provide.
And that's driving demand for BPL.
Seeking deals now
EarthLink is active in the HomePlug Powerline Alliance and in the IEEE standards efforts, said Zack.
The firm's investments in Intellon-user Current and DS2-user Ambient indicates the firm's not picking sides in the BPL chip wars.
"We are interested in promoting the success of all parties in that space in general because it would be to EarthLink's benefit for that third pipe to the home to exist," he added.
BPL technology is beyond experimental and the vendors are all on or about to be on the second generation of their products, he added.
Concern at utilities over whether the gear works "is really not on the table any more."
The question now is about building the business case for a given utility, he added.
Many utilities simply won't enter the broadband business, we noted.
"What we continue to hear repeatedly from all of the utilities we that speak with," said Zack, "is that they are anxious and interested in having a brand name such as EarthLink who has a track record of success" in the ISP business.
The utilities have a good reputation with their customers on reliability and quality of service, he added.
"They clearly want to make sure that anything that's associated with their name has the same sort of level of service and quality that they are known for."
That point is at the heart of every conversation with a utility EarthLink has, Zack reported.
"We've tried to communicate with and be of some help to virtually everybody that we can in this space."
That includes utilities and the BPL vendors and systems integrators.
EarthLink's message is simple.
"We're a quality provider of service" that knows how the ISP business model works "and we do it to a 'T.'"
Risks in entering -- or trying to "reinvent" the ISP business "can be avoided by partnering with EarthLink."
MORE.... EARTHLINK and Ambient BPL MDU
Last 5th July 2006 - Corinex Introduces the 600Mbps MDU Gateway
Corinex Communications showcases the 600Mbps
Multi Dwelling Unit Gateway at HITEC 2006
World’s First MDU Networking device that offers up to three simultaneous
200Mbps Powerline and Coax backbones within a building
Vancouver, BC June 19, 2006 – Corinex Communications Corp. announces the immediate availability of the new Multi Dwelling Unit (MDU) Gateway! The Corinex MDU Gateway allows System Integrators and Operators the ability to easily deploy high speed networks in a building over the existing electrical wiring or coaxial cabling.
The Gateway was designed specifically for MDU’s of all shapes and sizes and supports the distributing of multiple channels of video, voice, and data throughout large buildings. Up to 96 Corinex AV200 Powerline and AV200 CableLAN adapters (CPE) can be connected in rooms or offices for each MDU Gateway in the building. Quality of Service, client isolation, VLAN tagging, and 168 bit encryption are all supported by the Gateway.
“The Corinex MDU Gateway allows our customers to deploy any high bandwidth service flawlessly throughout a building” said Brian Donnelly, Corinex’s Director of Business Development. “System Integrators can dramatically reduce the cost and time involved in rewiring an entire building. In addition to the Gateway, we have completed the MDU Networking solution with a set of custom filters and phase couplers specifically designed by Corinex for the MDU environment” adds Donnelly.
The new Corinex MDU Gateway Module is shipping in volume today. Customers have already been successfully deploying the Corinex MDU Gateway in the US and Europe.
utility.net Launch Announced at BPL 2006: New Technology Provider Offers Improved, Cost-Effective Broadband Over Power Line Solution
Charlotte, NC September 17, 2006 - utility.net, a Broadband over Power Line (BPL) turn-key solutions partner, today announced its launch at the Broadband Power Line (BPL) 2006 conference. utility.net is committed to closing the digital divide in unserved and underserved cities and communities in the United States and around the world by transforming the ubiquitous electric plug found in every home and business into a high-speed Internet access point.
utility.net's next-generation patented technology overcomes the inherent limitations of prior-generation BPL solutions, making it the most cost-effective, best-in-class BPL system available today.
"utility.net combines the right technology solution with an experienced, world-class management team to provide the ultimate full-service solution for Investor-Owned Utilities," said Cheryl Smith, Chief Executive Officer. "We are already in detailed partnership discussions with a number of the largest power companies in the US."
utility.net's mission is to bring high-speed Internet access for data, voice and video-on-demand to homes and offices in unserved and underserved areas in association with their utility and value-added partners.
When deployed, this BPL solution provides high-speed broadband network capabilities for both the utility and its customers by delivering a licensed, patented transceiver technology that allows for the data signal to be injected into the medium voltage line. The commercially-standard equipment is cost-effective and easy to install for overhead and underground installations.
utility.net's BPL solution provides both additional revenue opportunities and a robust communications network to utility partners, enabling them to deploy their own smart grid applications, or to take advantage of new BPL-specific applications from utility.net such as outage notification along the circuit line, effectively improving reliability and safety while reducing the cost of managing the grid.
utility.net provides solutions to overcome the biggest issues that previously plagued BPL providers: The new technology has the capacity to "notch" out frequencies used by amateur radio operators and emergency management organizations in real time. Constantly scanning the network for noise and controlling the frequencies used at any given moment, the solution is in full compliance with all FCC Part 15 requirements and specifications.
utility.net technology incorporates regenerators (rather than repeaters) that make sending the broadband signal long distances virtually unlimited. At present, the equipment is serving customers with optimal performance on feeder lines that are more than 13 miles away from a single injection point. This ability to "go the distance" enables utility.net to be the low cost provider of BPL networks and services, delivering great value to the power companies and to their customers.
The DS2-based technology inherent in the utility.net equipment is state-of-the-art, flexible and the most advanced in the access BPL marketplace today.
utility.net's world-class management team has extraordinary experience managing complex networks in both the utility and telecommunications industries. The team is led by Cheryl Smith who most recently was the CIO of McKesson Corporation, a Fortune 20 company. Prior to that appointment, she was the CIO of KeySpan Corporation, one of the largest energy companies in the Northeast US, and a Vice President at Verizon. She brings with her two superior network technologists and engineers, an experienced construction and deployment manager, top energy industry legal counsel and expert financial advisors.
In addition, the company is supported by a best-in-class Network Operations Center, industry regarded electrical installation contractors and an expert marketing organization.
utility.net's next-generation patented technology overcomes the inherent limitations of prior-generation BPL solutions, making it the most cost-effective, best-in-class BPL system available today.
"utility.net combines the right technology solution with an experienced, world-class management team to provide the ultimate full-service solution for Investor-Owned Utilities," said Cheryl Smith, Chief Executive Officer. "We are already in detailed partnership discussions with a number of the largest power companies in the US."
utility.net's mission is to bring high-speed Internet access for data, voice and video-on-demand to homes and offices in unserved and underserved areas in association with their utility and value-added partners.
When deployed, this BPL solution provides high-speed broadband network capabilities for both the utility and its customers by delivering a licensed, patented transceiver technology that allows for the data signal to be injected into the medium voltage line. The commercially-standard equipment is cost-effective and easy to install for overhead and underground installations.
utility.net's BPL solution provides both additional revenue opportunities and a robust communications network to utility partners, enabling them to deploy their own smart grid applications, or to take advantage of new BPL-specific applications from utility.net such as outage notification along the circuit line, effectively improving reliability and safety while reducing the cost of managing the grid.
utility.net provides solutions to overcome the biggest issues that previously plagued BPL providers: The new technology has the capacity to "notch" out frequencies used by amateur radio operators and emergency management organizations in real time. Constantly scanning the network for noise and controlling the frequencies used at any given moment, the solution is in full compliance with all FCC Part 15 requirements and specifications.
utility.net technology incorporates regenerators (rather than repeaters) that make sending the broadband signal long distances virtually unlimited. At present, the equipment is serving customers with optimal performance on feeder lines that are more than 13 miles away from a single injection point. This ability to "go the distance" enables utility.net to be the low cost provider of BPL networks and services, delivering great value to the power companies and to their customers.
The DS2-based technology inherent in the utility.net equipment is state-of-the-art, flexible and the most advanced in the access BPL marketplace today.
utility.net's world-class management team has extraordinary experience managing complex networks in both the utility and telecommunications industries. The team is led by Cheryl Smith who most recently was the CIO of McKesson Corporation, a Fortune 20 company. Prior to that appointment, she was the CIO of KeySpan Corporation, one of the largest energy companies in the Northeast US, and a Vice President at Verizon. She brings with her two superior network technologists and engineers, an experienced construction and deployment manager, top energy industry legal counsel and expert financial advisors.
In addition, the company is supported by a best-in-class Network Operations Center, industry regarded electrical installation contractors and an expert marketing organization.
Telkonet Awarded Patent for the Telkonet Integrated Coupler Breaker
GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 2006--Telkonet, Inc. (Amex: TKO - News), the leader in providing in- building broadband access over existing electrical wiring, today announced that it has been issued U.S. patent number 7,091,831, titled "Method and Apparatus for Attaching Power Line Communications to Customer Premises" by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patented technology incorporates a safety disconnect circuit breaker into the Telkonet Coupler, creating a single streamlined unit. In doing so, installation of the Telkonet iWire System(TM) is faster, more efficient, and more economical than with separate disconnect switches, delivering optimal signal quality. The Telkonet Integrated Coupler Breaker patent covers Telkonet's unique technique used for interfacing and coupling its communication devices onto the three-phase electrical systems that are predominate in commercial buildings.
The Telkonet Integrated Coupler Breaker is a component of the Telkonet iWire System, which enables in-building broadband Internet and data access over a building's existing electrical wiring. The Telkonet Gateway converts IP connections to a PLC signal and distributes PLC to the Telkonet Integrated Coupler Breaker. The Telkonet Integrated Coupler Breaker takes the PLC signal from the Telkonet Gateway and injects that signal into the in-building electrical wiring. The Telkonet iBridge(TM) enables a user to connect a computer or IP device to the PLC network.
Stephen Sadle, Senior Vice President, Director and Co-Founder of Telkonet, commented, "Telkonet is always looking for ways to simplify the installation process and to reduce costs. By integrating a safety disconnect switch, the installation time for a licensed electrician is cut almost in half, simplifying the installation and saving costs. The Telkonet Integrated Coupler Breaker also takes up substantially less space when installed in the electrical closet."
BPL gear maker- Ambient Corporation is granted another patent for Highly insulated inductive data couplers by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office !!!
United States Patent 7,109,835
Ambient Corporation (Newton, MA)
Cern; Yehuda September 19, 2006
Highly insulated inductive data couplers
Abstract
There is provided an inductive coupler for coupling a signal to a power line. The inductive coupler includes a magnetic core for placement about the power line, a coil wound around a portion of the magnetic core, and a semiconducting coating that encapsulates the core and contacts the power line. The signal is coupled to the coil.
===
Ambient`s Overhead MV Coupler
Ambient`s Underground Inductive Coupler
====
The Japanese government announced its plans to enable high-speed Internet access via existing power lines instead of telephone or cable TV lines.
• The Japanese government through its Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced its plans to enable high-speed Internet access via existing power lines instead of telephone or cable TV lines.
The ministry said it will revise a ministry regulation and start accepting applications for the Internet access known as power line communications within this year. The Radio Regulatory Council recommended the lifting of a current ban on power line communications. In the planned service, power lines at home will be used as a local area network by attaching special modems to power outlets. The system is expected to be capable of transmitting information at a speed equal to that of data communications via fiber optics. Manufacturers of electric appliances, electric power companies and telecom operators have shown strong interest in developing the technology as it enables easy high-speed Internet access as well as remote-control of electric appliances at home via personal computers outside the home. Many amateur and professional radio operators, however, are opposed to lifting the ban on power line communications, as there is a possibility that they may leak radio waves and disrupt existing radio communications.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
"When this company’s pioneering technology is rolled out nationally,you could see its share price explode from under $5- $15 this year,and on to $30..
Do you know what publicly-traded BPL company/companies this author is talking about?
Source: New World Investor
Fellow Investor,
I’m writing to tell you about a 120-year-old technology that’s about to turn the cable, DSL and wireless industries upside down and not only create an exciting new industry, but also make early investors incredibly rich.
I realize that what I am about to tell you may sound too good to be true because I know that you’ve heard all this kind of stuff before—only to be woefully disappointed.
But let me assure you, as the editor of America’s leading technology investment advisory, what I am about to tell you isn’t conjecture or wishful thinking on my part. It truly is the next big thing in high-speed Internet communications.
If you doubt what I say, you must remember that just 88 years ago the telephone was considered the next big thing when it replaced the telegraph…push-button dialing was considered revolutionary when it replaced the rotary phone in the 1960s…and digital processing was considered a quantum advance when it not only replaced analog processing in the 1990s, but ultimately ushered in a new era of lightning-fast broadband communications.
Today, this “new” 120-year-old technology is not only on the verge of supplanting DSL, cable and wireless, but is also joining the long history of advancing communication technologies that you now take for granted.
Mark my words—if you can get in now before this new technology is commercialized, you could reap almost obscene profits as the world rushes to adopt this breakthrough technology, and your digital life will never be the same.
Why Broadband Over Power Lines Could
Ultimately Replace DSL and Wireless
I’m Michael Murphy, and as the founder and editor of New World Investor, I’m not going to proclaim that the era of cable, DSL or wireless broadband technologies is dead. That would be foolish. But if you’ll take a few minutes to hear me out, I’ll explain why today’s high-speed technologies could ultimately go the way of the videocassette.
How so?
Through a technological breakthrough called Broadband over Power Lines (BPL). Simply put, BPL uses today’s power lines to send data and voice communications.
As a result of this innovation, every single electrical outlet in the world can not only become an Internet connection, but become one that’s twice as fast as cable and 10 times faster than DSL.
Do you realize what this means?
This one technology not only puts the utilities in head-to-head competition with the cable and phone companies, but it also has a massive cost advantage since the utilities don’t have to invest a stinking dime in infrastructure or franchise fees.
Let me repeat that. Because of this quantum breakthrough, they don’t have to build new transmission lines or even rewire people’s homes to offer high-speed broadband data or video content to their customers.
Without getting too technical, all the utilities need to do is send a simple carrier wave down the power lines to give their customers broadband access that’s two times faster than cable and 10 times faster than DSL—all by simply plugging a receiver into a wall socket.
And I mean any wall socket!
As a result, this BPL technology gives consumers more than half a dozen Internet access points in every room in every home, apartment, hotel and commercial building. It also offers utility companies a major new source of revenue without the cost of building any infrastructure.
So, unlike the cable and telephone companies that need to string a cable or phone line to your house to give you Internet access, the utilities can offer you better service without the hassle or expense.
In a world where you have to plug into a wall socket for electricity, a phone line for telephone communications, a DSL or cable line for Internet access, and a cable for TV programming, BPL changes everything—and the repercussions are going to be dramatic.
That’s true not just for cable companies and telephone companies that derive their income from high-speed broadband communications and video, but also for utility companies that will soon be able to offer the fastest and most convenient Internet access in the world.
And it’s all because BPL technology gives the utilities the opportunity to bundle electricity, broadband and communications into one connection that’s already been prewired around the world.
Which is why I’m telling my readers…
When this company’s pioneering technology is rolled out
nationally, you could see its share price explode
from under $5 to $15 this year, and on to $30
in as little as 36 months.
That’s a huge claim, I know.
But not when you think of how this one technology, which uses existing electrical wiring to deliver high-quality Internet and other data services, could change the landscape of the communications industry forever.
Just think for a moment about what it would be like to use any wall socket in your house not just for power, but also for broadcast-quality TV programming, Internet access and telephone communications. Then you’ll begin to see the opportunity that’s at hand.
No more cable connections. No more separate Internet connection or phone connections. No more unreliable wireless connections. Just plug in and get everything—direct to you from your utility provider!
Why do you think laptops outsell desktop computers by more than two to one? You simply get everything in one compact package: monitor, computer, speakers, Internet connection—all in one portable, easy-to-use device.
Only this new bundle of communication services will one day give you high-speed Internet that’s not only twice as fast as cable, but also comes with broadband video, telephone, and, of course, POWER!
And that’s just the beginning.
When BPL is rolled out within the next few years, it will only be a matter of time before you are able to videoconference from the comfort of your living room by simply plugging into an electrical outlet.
It’s hard to minimize the impact that this breakthrough technology will have on the communications industry—or what the world will look like in the years ahead—as it offers convenient, secure and reliable broadband Internet access from virtually any ordinary electrical outlet.
It gets better: This breakthrough technology will be rolled out in China in the next five years. Can you imagine the kind of money that will be made? Think of a billion Chinese citizens gaining Internet access by simply plugging into wall sockets in their homes!
I hope that gives you a clear picture. Because…
Your Timing Couldn’t Be Better!
Here at New World Investor, we believe that the secret to profitable investing is to identify breakthrough technologies before they’re widely commercialized.
I don’t mention this to boast, but over the last 20 years, my visionary profit forecasts helped tens of thousands of investors make more money investing in leading technologies and trends than any other investment advisor or “guru” in the country.
And not to brag, but I was one of the first investment advisors to introduce the investing community to Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, Oracle and Dell in the 1990s before they handed investors up to $3-for-$1 profits.
Again, I mention none of this to brag, but only to establish my credibility and show you the kind of money you can make when you identify and invest in companies that are in line to profit from inevitable, locked-in trends.
In all my years following the big technology trends, I’ve never seen a bigger ground-floor opportunity than I do today in Broadband over Power Lines.
That’s why the more you understand about BPL, the more you’ll see how it will one day knock cable, DSL and wireless off their perches as the world’s fastest, most convenient and lowest-cost Internet connections.
This is why…
This company’s quarterly revenue not only exploded,
but is also insanely undervalued at just $3 a share
Thankfully, it’s virtually unknown to most investors. However, the big money has started investing. Barclays, Vanguard, and Mellon Financial have already invested millions.
Even Donald Trump has taken a major position…
But The Donald doesn’t own shares in the company. He’s purchased the company’s BPL equipment to outfit his Trump Place. And he’s not alone.
Over the past two years, the company has slowly and quietly been installing its equipment in a number of major hotels around the United States. If you’ve traveled to a Quality Inn, Comfort Inn, Sandman, Holiday Inn Express, InSeason, Clarion Inn & Suites, or The Helmsley Middletowne, there’s a chance that you’ve already used its system for broadband Internet access.
When you consider that this one market segment was enough to catapult the company’s quarterly revenues 683%, you can begin to see the profit opportunity-in-the-making as the company’s patent-proven BPL moves from business to home use.
But I’d hurry on this one if I were you.
This company recently got an important patent on its technology that connects buildings to BPL-enabled power lines. When the word gets out, you will be sure to see this stock price soar as throngs of investors—and utility companies—beat a path to this company’s door as its unique position could give it Microsoft-like status in the new field.
more:
New World Investor
BPL OFFERS COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND LONG TERM ENERGY RELIABILITY, SAYS EXPERT STUDY
September 15, 2006
Washington, DC – United Telecom Council’s (UTC’s) newly released research study, Opportunities for Electric Utilities: Broadband over Power Lines 2006, offers expert information on the market for Broadband over Power Line (BPL) development as it approaches a critical juncture in both large-scale commercial deployments and smart-grid applications. UTC, together with its affiliate United Power Line Council (UPLC) and consulting firm SHS Technologies, examines these opportunities and presents the most complete, accurate and up-to-date information about the state of this industry in this report. Findings show BPL not only as an excellent means to providing commercial services, but also an effective way for utilities to better manage their distribution grids.
The study – the fifth report on BPL by UTC - ties BPL into broader energy industry opportunities and issues such as utility reliability, broadband competition and submarket potential including in-building and next-generation infrastructure. Unlike other offerings, this report gathers information directly from the field, from specific technology providers as well as from UTC’s and UPLC’s membership base of both utilities and vendors. As a result, Opportunities for Electric Utilities: Broadband over Power Lines 2006, provides enlightened and specific recommendations based on real-life trends.
Findings
Once clarity is achieved on BPL standards and regulatory issues, BPL will move forward rapidly in North America, based upon the following factors:
Interoperability between vendors based on industry standards;
Increasing BPL operations providing commercial services to selected communities through telecommunications partners;
Development of a stand-alone, smart-grid applications business model;
More BPL trials/operations providing smart-grid applications;
Longer-range BPL equipment design for smart-grid services and rural areas;
Development of grid automation/intelligent grid projects using BPL large utilities;
Widespread use of BPL for in-building data networks;
Widespread use of BPL for home networking of communications, computing and entertainment systems.
The most striking conclusion of the study is that BPL will serve as a near term solution for some of the nation’s long-term energy policy objectives, such as the energy independence and electric reliability that policymakers hope to achieve by 2010. The report concludes that BPL is a possible “perfect solution” for load management, particularly when pulling double duty for other smart-grid applications such as remote monitoring and predictive maintenance. As such, UTC recommends that utilities plan the automation of their distribution system and the selection of a communications system as a single integrated project, rather than implementing a series of unconnected “islands of automation”. In this scenario, BPL has a secure place in the future of utility communications, whether as a stand-alone system or used in conjunction with other traditional and emerging technologies such as fiber optic and wireless systems.
For more information about the report or to order your copy, contact UTC Research at research@utc.org or 202.872.0030.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Starts this Sunday: Broadband Power Line 2006 in Charlotte, NC featuring Duke Energy`s Broadband 0ver Power Line !!!
PROGRAM:
Broadband Power Line 2006
September 17-20, 2006
Omni Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Sunday
7:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Golf Outing
Location: Highland Creek Park Golf Course
Buses will leave the Omni Charlotte promptly at 7:00 a.m. Breakfast and lunch will be served to golfers. Clubs can be rented – contact meetings@utc.org for more information.
5:00-7:00 p.m. Welcome Reception in Exhibit Hall
Arrive early and spend some time in the Broadband Power Line 2006 demo hall. See the latest and greatest BPL products and services. This is a can’t miss time to prepare attendees for the actual product demonstrations happening on Monday.
5:10 p.m. Broadband Power Line 2006 Grand Opening by UPLC’s Co-Chairs
Joe Cufari, Technology Co-Chair, UPLC Board of Directors; Vice President – Business Development, Current Communications Group
Tim Frost, Utility Co-Chair, UPLC Board of Directors; Director –Corporate Planning, Consolidated Edison
Monday
7:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Broadband Power Line 2006 Demo Hall Open
See it live! This is a chance to see what all the BPL vendors on the floor have to offer. Sprinkled throughout the day will be 10 minute presentations by each of the vendors on the floor highlighting their products and services – what they have available now and what they have plans to include. What better way to prepare for Tuesday’s educational program than to see where the industry is headed based on what the industries vendors have available?
12:30-1:30 p.m. Networking Lunch in the Demo Hall
1:00-5:00 p.m. BPL Site Visit – Duke Power
Duke is one of the largest and oldest BPL deployments in the country. Their deployment includes several vendors’ equipment as part of the demonstration. They are deploying BPL for a variety of commercial and utility applications, and have a team of personnel devoted to implementing BPL throughout the company’s operations. This site visit truly will offer a different take on BPL than any other tour you might have taken before.
*NOTE: The first group of buses will leave promptly at 1:00 p.m. from the Omni Charlotte. The remaining site visit groups will be staggered. Once you complete your registration, site visit times will be set up.
5:30-7:00 p.m. Networking Reception
After the demonstrations and site visit, join all the attendees back at the hotel to discuss the day’s events and prepare for the educational sessions yet to come.
5:30-6:30 p.m. UPLC Board of Directors Meeting
(Open to UPLC Board Members Only)
Tuesday
8:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:50 - 9:00 a.m. Opening Welcome from UPLC's Co-Chairs
The co-chairs of the UPLC will offer their thoughts on the past year and the issues for the future. This is an opportunity to learn more about the UPLC, the industry and to outline the goals for the conference.
Joe Cufari, Technology Co-Chair, UPLC Board of Directors; Vice President – Business Development, Current Communications Group
Tim Frost, Utility Co-Chair, UPLC Board of Directors; Director–Corporate Planning, Consolidated Edison
9:00–9:30 a.m. Utility Keynote Address
Hear from a utility that is putting BPL in motion! This keynote will give the utility perspective of why BPL is important and why utilities need to capitalize and invest in this capability.
Sandra Meyer, Group Vice President of Customer Service, Sales, and Marketing, Duke Power
9:30-10:00 a.m. Special Address – Investors’ Perspective
For a broader view, we’ve invited a leading Wall Street BPL analyst to discuss what Wall Street and shareholders expect when it comes to BPL and utilities.
Judy Warrick, Senior Advisor, Morgan Stanley
10:00-10:30 a.m. Networking Break
10:30-11:30 a.m. Business Case for BPL
This session will provide a high level assessment of the business case for BPL. It will examine the technology from a wide variety of angles including capital costs of deployment; the revenue opportunity; cost savings from utility applications; competitive analysis of the technology and the market; and landlord, developer and retail service provider business models. Additionally, it will take a real-world look at the successes and challenges from actual BPL deployments in the U.S. and other parts of the world.
Samir Sammoun, President, SHS Technologies, Inc.
Subodh Nayar, Director of Operations, Powerline Telco Inc.
David Shpigler, President, Shpigler Group
10:30-11:30 a.m. BPL Technical Roundtable
This session will look at the latest technical developments: bandwidth, interoperability, notching, etc. from the leading BPL providers. Just some of the technical questions that will be discussed during this roundtable debate include: The next generation chipsets are reaching the market, but what are they really capable of providing? What advances have been made in couplers to bring down the cost of deploying BPL and reducing potential interference? This is a can’t miss session on all the advancements out there for BPL and their use.
John Butler, Portfolio Manager, Motorola
Tom Willie, President & COO, Current Technologies
Steve Turner, Chief Operating Officer, IBEC
Ram Rao, Chief Network Architect, Ambient Corporation
Brian Donnely, Director of Business Development, Corinex
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Show Me the Money: Why Invest in BPL Now
This session will include investors with a broader perspective about market trends to evaluate the relative risk versus reward of investing in BPL today. Attendees will get the big picture on BPL, and how it fits within the portfolio for telecom and energy investments. Hear insiders’ thoughts on where the investment opportunities are and how to get funding for a BPL deployment.
Rodrego A. Byerly, Vice President, Blue Beacon Capital
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. How To Design a BPL Network
This session will focus on the practical issues when deploying a BPL network. What are the capacity, safety and reliability issues for the equipment? What types of networks are better or worse for BPL than others? What are the unique issues for underground and overhead installations? Questions you need answered when designing a BPL network.
David Masters, Network Manager, Duke Energy
Chris Britton, President and CEO, PowerGrid Communications, Inc.
Greg Moore, Director of Business Development, IP Applications
12:30-1:30 p.m. Networking Lunch
1:30-2:30 p.m. BPL Technical Standards "Deep Dive"
This session will take a "deep dive" into the technical coexistence and interoperability issues for BPL. Specifically, this session will address the progress being made within the IEEE, and within various consortia including HomePlug, Universal Powerline Association (UPA) and the Consumer Electronics Powerline Communications Association (CEPCA). Other highly charged issues for BPL that will get answered during this session - How will the standards improve performance for commercial applications? What consideration has been given to utility applications? You won’t want to miss these answers as you plan for BPL’s future.
Michael Stelts, President, CEPCA
Oleg Logvinov, President and CEO of Arkados, and Chief Strategy Officer, HomePlug Powerline Alliance
Gary Stuebing, System Integration Manager - PL Communications, Duke Energy
1:30-2:30 p.m. BPL Investment Case Study
This session will feature one company’s story of how it found funding for a BPL project, and identify the drivers, challenges and surprises along the way. This session is targeted to companies ramping up to provide BPL and will provide an eye-opening insight into the real-world of rolling out BPL.
David Matusoff, Director of Technology Planning, Whiteboard Broadband Solutions
2:30-3:30 p.m. Wholesale Business Opportunities Created by BPL
This session will examine the business opportunity for utilities to partner with BPL providers and ISPs. Many utilities are interested in a landlord business model, and this session will provide success stories from CLECs, ISPs and other companies that are working currently with utilities to provide BPL applications and services.
Bob Zach, Director, EarthLink
Michael Britt, Managing Director, Britt Consulting
2:30-3:30 p.m. BPL Case Study – TXU
The TXU deployment is the largest commercial deployment in the country, passing 2 million homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This session will identify the key drivers in their go-to-market approach, the challenges that they have encountered and the view ahead as the deployment continues to grow. Everything from VoIP to smart-grid will be covered during this comprehensive case study.
Michael Quinn, Project Manager, TXU
Terry Wingfield, Vice President of Business Development, Current Communications Group, LLC
3:30-4:00 p.m. Networking Break
4:00-5:00 p.m. BPL Federal & State Legal/Regulatory Update
This session will examine the legal/regulatory situation, covering issues such as RF technical issues (e.g. interference issues, standards, measurement and requirements), regulatory classification for BPL, other regulatory obligations (e.g. regulatory fees, E-911, CALEA USF) including the Energy Act implications for Internal Applications. Get the latest developments and learn how regulatory certainty is paving the way for BPL.
Bruce Romano, Associate Chief, Office of Engineering & Technology, FCC
Jay Bradbury, Regulatory Consultant, Powerline Communications
Brett Kilbourne, Director Regulatory Services & Associate General Counsel, UPLC
4:00-5:00 p.m. Value-Add Opportunities – Internal BPL Applications
This session will assess aspects of the business case that utilities may be overlooking on the internal side. For example, utilities are deploying BPL for electric meter reading, but what about water and gas? Similarly, utilities are looking to use BPL to identify anomalies and to predict failures in electrical cabling, but what about offering similar services for large industrial customers? Among other value-adds, this session also will consider the opportunities for using BPL in campus environments for security applications. This is a session that thinks outside the box in ways that have been developed for cable and DSL, and expands the horizon to the broader business applications that BPL can enable. Additionally, this session will examine the real state of development of BPL internal applications featuring experts with actual experience in BPL deployments using internal applications.
Greg Angst, Consulting Engineer, CenterPoint Energy
Jeff Tolnar, Chief Technology Officer, BPL Global
5:00-7:00 p.m. Networking Reception
Wednesday
8:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00-10:00 a.m. BPL for IT
This session will look at BPL from a different layer -- utility IT. So much of utility communications systems are being driven by IT and BPL presents a unique opportunity to aggregate more data and integrate disparate communications systems. At the same time, there are security concerns about accessing the Internet generally, especially when BPL may be handling both internal and commercial traffic. This session will address those and other issues upfront by experts in network management systems and information security.
Tom Moses, IT Architect, San Diego Gas & Electric Company
Paul Finlay, Launch Mngr & Subj Matter Expert, Motorola Canada Limited
9:00-10:00 a.m. BPL for Landlords
Landlords and building management companies are realizing that BPL enables them to provide better services to their tenants compared to other technologies. They also realize that BPL can enable them to operate more efficiently and effectively. This session will talk about what’s happening in the landlord market for BPL, the unique technical issues that exist and what’s on the horizon in terms of new services and applications.
Celine Anelone, Sr. Manager, EarthLink
Mary Ashe, Business Development Manager, Motorola Inc.
Scott Skokan,VP-Maintenance & Tech Services, Bozzuto Management
10:00-10:30 a.m. Networking Break
10:30-11:30 a.m. Real-Time Wrap-Up
This session will recap the conference, making it easier for attendees to report back on everything they learned. Also, it will explain what the UPLC has done and will be doing in the future to drive the development of BPL.
Broadband Power Line 2006
September 17-20, 2006
Omni Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Sunday
7:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Golf Outing
Location: Highland Creek Park Golf Course
Buses will leave the Omni Charlotte promptly at 7:00 a.m. Breakfast and lunch will be served to golfers. Clubs can be rented – contact meetings@utc.org for more information.
5:00-7:00 p.m. Welcome Reception in Exhibit Hall
Arrive early and spend some time in the Broadband Power Line 2006 demo hall. See the latest and greatest BPL products and services. This is a can’t miss time to prepare attendees for the actual product demonstrations happening on Monday.
5:10 p.m. Broadband Power Line 2006 Grand Opening by UPLC’s Co-Chairs
Joe Cufari, Technology Co-Chair, UPLC Board of Directors; Vice President – Business Development, Current Communications Group
Tim Frost, Utility Co-Chair, UPLC Board of Directors; Director –Corporate Planning, Consolidated Edison
Monday
7:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Broadband Power Line 2006 Demo Hall Open
See it live! This is a chance to see what all the BPL vendors on the floor have to offer. Sprinkled throughout the day will be 10 minute presentations by each of the vendors on the floor highlighting their products and services – what they have available now and what they have plans to include. What better way to prepare for Tuesday’s educational program than to see where the industry is headed based on what the industries vendors have available?
12:30-1:30 p.m. Networking Lunch in the Demo Hall
1:00-5:00 p.m. BPL Site Visit – Duke Power
Duke is one of the largest and oldest BPL deployments in the country. Their deployment includes several vendors’ equipment as part of the demonstration. They are deploying BPL for a variety of commercial and utility applications, and have a team of personnel devoted to implementing BPL throughout the company’s operations. This site visit truly will offer a different take on BPL than any other tour you might have taken before.
*NOTE: The first group of buses will leave promptly at 1:00 p.m. from the Omni Charlotte. The remaining site visit groups will be staggered. Once you complete your registration, site visit times will be set up.
5:30-7:00 p.m. Networking Reception
After the demonstrations and site visit, join all the attendees back at the hotel to discuss the day’s events and prepare for the educational sessions yet to come.
5:30-6:30 p.m. UPLC Board of Directors Meeting
(Open to UPLC Board Members Only)
Tuesday
8:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:50 - 9:00 a.m. Opening Welcome from UPLC's Co-Chairs
The co-chairs of the UPLC will offer their thoughts on the past year and the issues for the future. This is an opportunity to learn more about the UPLC, the industry and to outline the goals for the conference.
Joe Cufari, Technology Co-Chair, UPLC Board of Directors; Vice President – Business Development, Current Communications Group
Tim Frost, Utility Co-Chair, UPLC Board of Directors; Director–Corporate Planning, Consolidated Edison
9:00–9:30 a.m. Utility Keynote Address
Hear from a utility that is putting BPL in motion! This keynote will give the utility perspective of why BPL is important and why utilities need to capitalize and invest in this capability.
Sandra Meyer, Group Vice President of Customer Service, Sales, and Marketing, Duke Power
9:30-10:00 a.m. Special Address – Investors’ Perspective
For a broader view, we’ve invited a leading Wall Street BPL analyst to discuss what Wall Street and shareholders expect when it comes to BPL and utilities.
Judy Warrick, Senior Advisor, Morgan Stanley
10:00-10:30 a.m. Networking Break
10:30-11:30 a.m. Business Case for BPL
This session will provide a high level assessment of the business case for BPL. It will examine the technology from a wide variety of angles including capital costs of deployment; the revenue opportunity; cost savings from utility applications; competitive analysis of the technology and the market; and landlord, developer and retail service provider business models. Additionally, it will take a real-world look at the successes and challenges from actual BPL deployments in the U.S. and other parts of the world.
Samir Sammoun, President, SHS Technologies, Inc.
Subodh Nayar, Director of Operations, Powerline Telco Inc.
David Shpigler, President, Shpigler Group
10:30-11:30 a.m. BPL Technical Roundtable
This session will look at the latest technical developments: bandwidth, interoperability, notching, etc. from the leading BPL providers. Just some of the technical questions that will be discussed during this roundtable debate include: The next generation chipsets are reaching the market, but what are they really capable of providing? What advances have been made in couplers to bring down the cost of deploying BPL and reducing potential interference? This is a can’t miss session on all the advancements out there for BPL and their use.
John Butler, Portfolio Manager, Motorola
Tom Willie, President & COO, Current Technologies
Steve Turner, Chief Operating Officer, IBEC
Ram Rao, Chief Network Architect, Ambient Corporation
Brian Donnely, Director of Business Development, Corinex
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Show Me the Money: Why Invest in BPL Now
This session will include investors with a broader perspective about market trends to evaluate the relative risk versus reward of investing in BPL today. Attendees will get the big picture on BPL, and how it fits within the portfolio for telecom and energy investments. Hear insiders’ thoughts on where the investment opportunities are and how to get funding for a BPL deployment.
Rodrego A. Byerly, Vice President, Blue Beacon Capital
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. How To Design a BPL Network
This session will focus on the practical issues when deploying a BPL network. What are the capacity, safety and reliability issues for the equipment? What types of networks are better or worse for BPL than others? What are the unique issues for underground and overhead installations? Questions you need answered when designing a BPL network.
David Masters, Network Manager, Duke Energy
Chris Britton, President and CEO, PowerGrid Communications, Inc.
Greg Moore, Director of Business Development, IP Applications
12:30-1:30 p.m. Networking Lunch
1:30-2:30 p.m. BPL Technical Standards "Deep Dive"
This session will take a "deep dive" into the technical coexistence and interoperability issues for BPL. Specifically, this session will address the progress being made within the IEEE, and within various consortia including HomePlug, Universal Powerline Association (UPA) and the Consumer Electronics Powerline Communications Association (CEPCA). Other highly charged issues for BPL that will get answered during this session - How will the standards improve performance for commercial applications? What consideration has been given to utility applications? You won’t want to miss these answers as you plan for BPL’s future.
Michael Stelts, President, CEPCA
Oleg Logvinov, President and CEO of Arkados, and Chief Strategy Officer, HomePlug Powerline Alliance
Gary Stuebing, System Integration Manager - PL Communications, Duke Energy
1:30-2:30 p.m. BPL Investment Case Study
This session will feature one company’s story of how it found funding for a BPL project, and identify the drivers, challenges and surprises along the way. This session is targeted to companies ramping up to provide BPL and will provide an eye-opening insight into the real-world of rolling out BPL.
David Matusoff, Director of Technology Planning, Whiteboard Broadband Solutions
2:30-3:30 p.m. Wholesale Business Opportunities Created by BPL
This session will examine the business opportunity for utilities to partner with BPL providers and ISPs. Many utilities are interested in a landlord business model, and this session will provide success stories from CLECs, ISPs and other companies that are working currently with utilities to provide BPL applications and services.
Bob Zach, Director, EarthLink
Michael Britt, Managing Director, Britt Consulting
2:30-3:30 p.m. BPL Case Study – TXU
The TXU deployment is the largest commercial deployment in the country, passing 2 million homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This session will identify the key drivers in their go-to-market approach, the challenges that they have encountered and the view ahead as the deployment continues to grow. Everything from VoIP to smart-grid will be covered during this comprehensive case study.
Michael Quinn, Project Manager, TXU
Terry Wingfield, Vice President of Business Development, Current Communications Group, LLC
3:30-4:00 p.m. Networking Break
4:00-5:00 p.m. BPL Federal & State Legal/Regulatory Update
This session will examine the legal/regulatory situation, covering issues such as RF technical issues (e.g. interference issues, standards, measurement and requirements), regulatory classification for BPL, other regulatory obligations (e.g. regulatory fees, E-911, CALEA USF) including the Energy Act implications for Internal Applications. Get the latest developments and learn how regulatory certainty is paving the way for BPL.
Bruce Romano, Associate Chief, Office of Engineering & Technology, FCC
Jay Bradbury, Regulatory Consultant, Powerline Communications
Brett Kilbourne, Director Regulatory Services & Associate General Counsel, UPLC
4:00-5:00 p.m. Value-Add Opportunities – Internal BPL Applications
This session will assess aspects of the business case that utilities may be overlooking on the internal side. For example, utilities are deploying BPL for electric meter reading, but what about water and gas? Similarly, utilities are looking to use BPL to identify anomalies and to predict failures in electrical cabling, but what about offering similar services for large industrial customers? Among other value-adds, this session also will consider the opportunities for using BPL in campus environments for security applications. This is a session that thinks outside the box in ways that have been developed for cable and DSL, and expands the horizon to the broader business applications that BPL can enable. Additionally, this session will examine the real state of development of BPL internal applications featuring experts with actual experience in BPL deployments using internal applications.
Greg Angst, Consulting Engineer, CenterPoint Energy
Jeff Tolnar, Chief Technology Officer, BPL Global
5:00-7:00 p.m. Networking Reception
Wednesday
8:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00-10:00 a.m. BPL for IT
This session will look at BPL from a different layer -- utility IT. So much of utility communications systems are being driven by IT and BPL presents a unique opportunity to aggregate more data and integrate disparate communications systems. At the same time, there are security concerns about accessing the Internet generally, especially when BPL may be handling both internal and commercial traffic. This session will address those and other issues upfront by experts in network management systems and information security.
Tom Moses, IT Architect, San Diego Gas & Electric Company
Paul Finlay, Launch Mngr & Subj Matter Expert, Motorola Canada Limited
9:00-10:00 a.m. BPL for Landlords
Landlords and building management companies are realizing that BPL enables them to provide better services to their tenants compared to other technologies. They also realize that BPL can enable them to operate more efficiently and effectively. This session will talk about what’s happening in the landlord market for BPL, the unique technical issues that exist and what’s on the horizon in terms of new services and applications.
Celine Anelone, Sr. Manager, EarthLink
Mary Ashe, Business Development Manager, Motorola Inc.
Scott Skokan,VP-Maintenance & Tech Services, Bozzuto Management
10:00-10:30 a.m. Networking Break
10:30-11:30 a.m. Real-Time Wrap-Up
This session will recap the conference, making it easier for attendees to report back on everything they learned. Also, it will explain what the UPLC has done and will be doing in the future to drive the development of BPL.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
IBM in India offers `Intelligent Grid' and plans to offer Broadband over Power Lines to retail consumers !!!
IBM offers `Intelligent Grid' to check power theft, T&D losses
Thomas K. Thomas
Called `Intelligent Grid', the IBM solution helps utility companies track power consumption and leakages through sensors deployed at various sections of the infrastructure.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech solutions
Grid will help track consumption, leakages
Plans broadband over power lines to retail consumers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Delhi , Sept. 14
IBM is in talks with large power utility companies including Power Grid Corporation India Ltd, Reliance Energy and North Delhi Power Ltd to provide the technology that will enable them to cut down on power theft and transmission and distribution (T&D) losses.
Called `Intelligent Grid', the IBM solution helps utility companies track power consumption and leakages through sensors deployed at various sections of the infrastructure.
Speaking to Business Line, Mr Neil Gerber, IBM Worldwide Strategy Leader for Energy & Utilities, said: "The Intelligent Grid enables utility companies to view and respond to the health status of their network in real time and access information that can enhance customer service and improve electric grid line planning, operations and maintenance."
He added: "It contributes to fewer and shorter power outages, improved operating costs, security and higher productivity. Some of these projects involve the usage of a technology known as Automated Meter Management."
Mr Brian Daldetty, Director of Solution Development and Marketing, IBM Wireless Solutions, said that the Indian power sector offers a huge opportunity because most of power infrastructure is digitalised unlike US or Europe where a large section of legacy infrastructure is based on analog systems.
"In India almost 30 per cent of the power generated is wasted compared to just four per cent in Japan. We propose to create a smarter grid that will prevent the losses in India."
IBM is also eyeing the opportunity of offering broadband over power lines to retail consumers through tie-ups with the power utilities.
The service is likely to be launched on a trial basis by the end of the year.
Initially, the rollout will happen in rural areas.
Thomas K. Thomas
Called `Intelligent Grid', the IBM solution helps utility companies track power consumption and leakages through sensors deployed at various sections of the infrastructure.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tech solutions
Grid will help track consumption, leakages
Plans broadband over power lines to retail consumers
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Delhi , Sept. 14
IBM is in talks with large power utility companies including Power Grid Corporation India Ltd, Reliance Energy and North Delhi Power Ltd to provide the technology that will enable them to cut down on power theft and transmission and distribution (T&D) losses.
Called `Intelligent Grid', the IBM solution helps utility companies track power consumption and leakages through sensors deployed at various sections of the infrastructure.
Speaking to Business Line, Mr Neil Gerber, IBM Worldwide Strategy Leader for Energy & Utilities, said: "The Intelligent Grid enables utility companies to view and respond to the health status of their network in real time and access information that can enhance customer service and improve electric grid line planning, operations and maintenance."
He added: "It contributes to fewer and shorter power outages, improved operating costs, security and higher productivity. Some of these projects involve the usage of a technology known as Automated Meter Management."
Mr Brian Daldetty, Director of Solution Development and Marketing, IBM Wireless Solutions, said that the Indian power sector offers a huge opportunity because most of power infrastructure is digitalised unlike US or Europe where a large section of legacy infrastructure is based on analog systems.
"In India almost 30 per cent of the power generated is wasted compared to just four per cent in Japan. We propose to create a smarter grid that will prevent the losses in India."
IBM is also eyeing the opportunity of offering broadband over power lines to retail consumers through tie-ups with the power utilities.
The service is likely to be launched on a trial basis by the end of the year.
Initially, the rollout will happen in rural areas.
BPL Global Unveils New Applications for Smart Grid
-- Systems Platform and Software Applications Improve Service Reliability
and Energy Efficiency --
-- CTO Jeff Tolnar to Speak at BPL 2006 Event in Charlotte on Sept. 19 --
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- BPL Global, Ltd., an international
leader in broadband over power line (BPL) and Smart Grid technologies,
today announced a new line of Smart Grid applications. Together with BPL
Global's powerful systems platform, these applications provide significant
opportunity for utilities to achieve a more powerful, reliable grid.
"Our Power SG(TM) platform is the strength of our system," said Jeff
Tolnar, Chief Technology Officer of BPL Global. "It provides a strong
operating base that is flexible enough to interface with multiple disparate
systems yet offers a consistent interface to the user over multiple
locations on an unparalleled scale. The system is designed to interface
with select BPL Global applications as well as those developed by other
system developers or manufacturers." Tolnar will speak at Broadband Power
Line 2006 on Sept. 19 from 4-5 p.m.
"BPL 2006 is a great venue for launching our new line of applications,"
said Keith Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer, BPL Global. "These
applications - when coupled with advanced sensor capability, premise
controls, and integrated communications methods - provide the right
solution for a very robust Smart Grid infrastructure."
Broadband Power Line 2006 is an event held by the United Power Line
Council, attended by telecommunications engineers, IT managers, CTOs, CIOs,
business managers, utilities, analysts, government representatives and
others.
New Applications to Improve Smart Grid and Best Leverage BPL
Deployments
BPL Global is developing a message-based systems platform and unique
software applications to enable monitoring and control of distribution grid
assets and broadband networks that reside on the grid. All of these will
lead to significant improvements in the reduction of outages from extreme
load conditions; the ability to more quickly respond to customer needs; and
the capability to meet energy efficiency goals where it has been difficult
or uneconomical to improve before.
The applications include:
- premise load management (residential and commercial) -controlling edge
devices in order to avoid high cost peak usage, protect assets by
preventing extreme overload conditions and to meet "green energy"
goals;
- demand response - providing electric utility customers with the tools
to manage their energy purchases based on a variety of pricing options,
usage patterns, energy cost, and interruptible load;
- spinning reserve replacement - replacing high cost spinning reserve
assets or contracts instead of supplying them;
- Automated Meter Reading (AMR) with remote disconnect and theft
detection - leveraging the Power SG platform by easily integrating with
nearly any AMR system.
BPL Global forms joint ventures with utilities and Internet service
providers (ISPs), providing high speed Internet services over power lines
to consumers, while ensuring heightened reliability and efficiency of
utility grids through Smart Grid initiatives.
About BPL Global
BPL Global(TM), Ltd. is a leading international provider of Smart Grid
applications to utilities and broadband services to consumers via power
lines. The company forms joint ventures with national/regional utilities
and ISPs and provides Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology-based
products and services. BPL Global specializes in end to end solutions,
providing the best in technology, software, hardware, design, and systems
integration. Visit BPL Global on the Web at
http://www.bplglobal.net
and Energy Efficiency --
-- CTO Jeff Tolnar to Speak at BPL 2006 Event in Charlotte on Sept. 19 --
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- BPL Global, Ltd., an international
leader in broadband over power line (BPL) and Smart Grid technologies,
today announced a new line of Smart Grid applications. Together with BPL
Global's powerful systems platform, these applications provide significant
opportunity for utilities to achieve a more powerful, reliable grid.
"Our Power SG(TM) platform is the strength of our system," said Jeff
Tolnar, Chief Technology Officer of BPL Global. "It provides a strong
operating base that is flexible enough to interface with multiple disparate
systems yet offers a consistent interface to the user over multiple
locations on an unparalleled scale. The system is designed to interface
with select BPL Global applications as well as those developed by other
system developers or manufacturers." Tolnar will speak at Broadband Power
Line 2006 on Sept. 19 from 4-5 p.m.
"BPL 2006 is a great venue for launching our new line of applications,"
said Keith Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer, BPL Global. "These
applications - when coupled with advanced sensor capability, premise
controls, and integrated communications methods - provide the right
solution for a very robust Smart Grid infrastructure."
Broadband Power Line 2006 is an event held by the United Power Line
Council, attended by telecommunications engineers, IT managers, CTOs, CIOs,
business managers, utilities, analysts, government representatives and
others.
New Applications to Improve Smart Grid and Best Leverage BPL
Deployments
BPL Global is developing a message-based systems platform and unique
software applications to enable monitoring and control of distribution grid
assets and broadband networks that reside on the grid. All of these will
lead to significant improvements in the reduction of outages from extreme
load conditions; the ability to more quickly respond to customer needs; and
the capability to meet energy efficiency goals where it has been difficult
or uneconomical to improve before.
The applications include:
- premise load management (residential and commercial) -controlling edge
devices in order to avoid high cost peak usage, protect assets by
preventing extreme overload conditions and to meet "green energy"
goals;
- demand response - providing electric utility customers with the tools
to manage their energy purchases based on a variety of pricing options,
usage patterns, energy cost, and interruptible load;
- spinning reserve replacement - replacing high cost spinning reserve
assets or contracts instead of supplying them;
- Automated Meter Reading (AMR) with remote disconnect and theft
detection - leveraging the Power SG platform by easily integrating with
nearly any AMR system.
BPL Global forms joint ventures with utilities and Internet service
providers (ISPs), providing high speed Internet services over power lines
to consumers, while ensuring heightened reliability and efficiency of
utility grids through Smart Grid initiatives.
About BPL Global
BPL Global(TM), Ltd. is a leading international provider of Smart Grid
applications to utilities and broadband services to consumers via power
lines. The company forms joint ventures with national/regional utilities
and ISPs and provides Broadband over Power Line (BPL) technology-based
products and services. BPL Global specializes in end to end solutions,
providing the best in technology, software, hardware, design, and systems
integration. Visit BPL Global on the Web at
http://www.bplglobal.net
The sad state of American broadband-- 9/13/2006 11:29:54 AM, by Eric Bangeman
"Looking at the statistics contained in the report, we discover that the US is 16th in the world in terms of broadband penetration and 15th in rate of growth. As of December 2005, the US had approximately 16 broadband subscribers for every 100 inhabitants. In contrast, Iceland had almost 27, while South Korea, the Netherlands, and Denmark were right around 25 per 100.
US residents lag in speed as well, but pay more for their slower connections. In Japan, symmetrical 100Mbps connections are available for less than $35 per month, while residents of South Korea can get similarly speedy fiber optic connections for around $32. Those speeds are unheard of for consumer broadband in the US, and prices for much slower hookups are significantly higher—Comcast charges $69 for 10Mbps/768Kbps service where I live, by way of example."
more...
The sad state of American broadband
US residents lag in speed as well, but pay more for their slower connections. In Japan, symmetrical 100Mbps connections are available for less than $35 per month, while residents of South Korea can get similarly speedy fiber optic connections for around $32. Those speeds are unheard of for consumer broadband in the US, and prices for much slower hookups are significantly higher—Comcast charges $69 for 10Mbps/768Kbps service where I live, by way of example."
more...
The sad state of American broadband
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
BPL as “Virtual Dark Fiber,” a new concept that makes power lines throughout the world analogous to dark fiber that needs to be “lit” by BPL equipment
BPL to the rescue?
Sep 12, 2006
By Dr. Robert C. Raciti
Broadband over Powerline (BPL) is an emerging technology that has great potential for enabling all forms of service providers to offer robust products and services. Unfortunately, competition from cable modems, DSL, and wireless broadband along with the poor track record of success stories have curbed the enthusiasm for many ambitious BPL business plans.
Enter “Virtual Dark Fiber,” a new concept that makes power lines throughout the world analogous to dark fiber that needs to be “lit” by BPL equipment. This “virtual dark fiber” approach to the communications market gives local power companies dark fiber inventory throughout the world.
Once a customer purchases an Indefeasible Right to Use (IRU) between two points, the IRU owner rather than the power company invests in the infrastructure required to deploy high-speed data connectivity. The concept is simple: Rather than spend money deploying large-scale BPL solutions to provide residential broadband, the power companies should simply publish their inventory of power lines and sell the rights to use these lines for point-to-point BPL solutions.
Deploying BPL in this way will allow power companies to focus on their core energy business and monetize their power lines for BPL purposes. This approach creates connectivity alternatives for all of the communications infrastructure providers including incumbent telcos, wireless operators, cable companies, ISPs, and CLECs, among others.
We all know that there is no one technology that can provide end-to-end solutions. Even wireless infrastructures rely on terrestrial backhaul. BPL is no different. Therefore, rather than focus on forcing a single technology to provide end-to-end solutions, the focus should be on including BPL as one of the numerous technologies that incumbent service providers can deploy to cost-effectively service their customers. Whether it be wireless broadband operators that need high bandwidth to towers, cable operators that need high bandwidth to certain neighborhoods, or even incumbent telcos that need to provision additional bandwidth over a river or to an office park, BPL can help most service providers deploy communications solutions throughout their markets.
This low-cost alternative can also help accelerate the adoption of broadband that will drive the digital distribution of content including video, audio, games, IPTV, and the next generation of interactive digital content.
The Virtual Dark Fiber concept would help accelerate the global broadband market. It would also help power companies monetize their assets for BPL, help the service providers solve connectivity challenges, and help the BPL equipment vendors sell to customers once thought of as the competition.
(Dr. Robert C. Raciti is a senior vice president with GE Commercial Finance’s Global Media & Communications business, specializing in marketing & technology risk. For more information, please visit www.gegmc.com )
Sep 12, 2006
By Dr. Robert C. Raciti
Broadband over Powerline (BPL) is an emerging technology that has great potential for enabling all forms of service providers to offer robust products and services. Unfortunately, competition from cable modems, DSL, and wireless broadband along with the poor track record of success stories have curbed the enthusiasm for many ambitious BPL business plans.
Enter “Virtual Dark Fiber,” a new concept that makes power lines throughout the world analogous to dark fiber that needs to be “lit” by BPL equipment. This “virtual dark fiber” approach to the communications market gives local power companies dark fiber inventory throughout the world.
Once a customer purchases an Indefeasible Right to Use (IRU) between two points, the IRU owner rather than the power company invests in the infrastructure required to deploy high-speed data connectivity. The concept is simple: Rather than spend money deploying large-scale BPL solutions to provide residential broadband, the power companies should simply publish their inventory of power lines and sell the rights to use these lines for point-to-point BPL solutions.
Deploying BPL in this way will allow power companies to focus on their core energy business and monetize their power lines for BPL purposes. This approach creates connectivity alternatives for all of the communications infrastructure providers including incumbent telcos, wireless operators, cable companies, ISPs, and CLECs, among others.
We all know that there is no one technology that can provide end-to-end solutions. Even wireless infrastructures rely on terrestrial backhaul. BPL is no different. Therefore, rather than focus on forcing a single technology to provide end-to-end solutions, the focus should be on including BPL as one of the numerous technologies that incumbent service providers can deploy to cost-effectively service their customers. Whether it be wireless broadband operators that need high bandwidth to towers, cable operators that need high bandwidth to certain neighborhoods, or even incumbent telcos that need to provision additional bandwidth over a river or to an office park, BPL can help most service providers deploy communications solutions throughout their markets.
This low-cost alternative can also help accelerate the adoption of broadband that will drive the digital distribution of content including video, audio, games, IPTV, and the next generation of interactive digital content.
The Virtual Dark Fiber concept would help accelerate the global broadband market. It would also help power companies monetize their assets for BPL, help the service providers solve connectivity challenges, and help the BPL equipment vendors sell to customers once thought of as the competition.
(Dr. Robert C. Raciti is a senior vice president with GE Commercial Finance’s Global Media & Communications business, specializing in marketing & technology risk. For more information, please visit www.gegmc.com )
Just few days left for: Duke Energy`s BPL system live demo at Broadband over Powerline 2006 Conference !!!
Broadband Power Line 2006
September 17-20, 2006
Omni Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Special Address – Investors’ Perspective
For a broader view, we’ve invited a leading Wall Street BPL analyst to discuss what Wall Street and shareholders expect when it comes to BPL and utilities..
Judy Warrick
Senior Advisor, Morgan Stanley **INVITED
=======================
Sept. 18, 2006
8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Broadband Power Line 2006
Demo Hall Open
See it live! This is a chance to see what all the BPL vendors on the floor have to offer. Sprinkled throughout the day will be 10 minute presentations by each of the vendors on the floor highlighting their products and services – what they have available now and what they have plans to include. What better way to prepare for Tuesday’s educational program than to see where the industry is headed based on what the industries vendors have available?
12:30-1:30 p.m. Networking Lunch in the Demo Hall
2:00-5:00 p.m. BPL Site Visit – Duke Power
Duke is one of the largest and oldest BPL deployments in the country. Their deployment includes several vendors’ equipment as part of the demonstration. They are deploying BPL for a variety of commercial and utility applications, and have a team of personnel devoted to implementing BPL throughout the company’s operations. This site visit truly will offer a different take on BPL than any other tour you might have taken before.
UPLC Broadband Power Line 2006
read: Previous articles:
DUKE ENERGY selects AMBIENT/DS2 G2 200Mbps BPL gears in N. Carolina !!!
DS2 BROADBAND over POWER LINES: new 200 Mbps Technology !!!
UPLC Broadband Power Line 2006 -- Ambient Corp. is the Platinum Premier Event Sponsor !!!!!!!!!
Ambient Corp. BROADBAND over POWER LINES new 200 Mbps Technology gear based on DS2 CHIPSETS !!!
September 17-20, 2006
Omni Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Special Address – Investors’ Perspective
For a broader view, we’ve invited a leading Wall Street BPL analyst to discuss what Wall Street and shareholders expect when it comes to BPL and utilities..
Judy Warrick
Senior Advisor, Morgan Stanley **INVITED
=======================
Sept. 18, 2006
8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Broadband Power Line 2006
Demo Hall Open
See it live! This is a chance to see what all the BPL vendors on the floor have to offer. Sprinkled throughout the day will be 10 minute presentations by each of the vendors on the floor highlighting their products and services – what they have available now and what they have plans to include. What better way to prepare for Tuesday’s educational program than to see where the industry is headed based on what the industries vendors have available?
12:30-1:30 p.m. Networking Lunch in the Demo Hall
2:00-5:00 p.m. BPL Site Visit – Duke Power
Duke is one of the largest and oldest BPL deployments in the country. Their deployment includes several vendors’ equipment as part of the demonstration. They are deploying BPL for a variety of commercial and utility applications, and have a team of personnel devoted to implementing BPL throughout the company’s operations. This site visit truly will offer a different take on BPL than any other tour you might have taken before.
UPLC Broadband Power Line 2006
read: Previous articles:
DUKE ENERGY selects AMBIENT/DS2 G2 200Mbps BPL gears in N. Carolina !!!
DS2 BROADBAND over POWER LINES: new 200 Mbps Technology !!!
UPLC Broadband Power Line 2006 -- Ambient Corp. is the Platinum Premier Event Sponsor !!!!!!!!!
Ambient Corp. BROADBAND over POWER LINES new 200 Mbps Technology gear based on DS2 CHIPSETS !!!
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