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 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
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